


Neglected

by MalevolentReverie



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Adultery, Complete, F/M, POV First Person, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-26
Updated: 2013-12-02
Packaged: 2018-01-02 17:46:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 37,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1059721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalevolentReverie/pseuds/MalevolentReverie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Videl and Gohan have been happily married for several years. But when Videl begins to feel neglected, will she and Goku strike up an unlikely friendship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! This was my first DBZ fanfiction so I figured I'd share it here with everyone.

The sun shone through my bedroom window, easily filtering through the flimsy curtain I had put up in a vain attempt to protect my eyes in the early morning. The pleasant warmth on my legs slowly woke me up until I reached full consciousness, blinking away the sleepiness. When I sat up and stretched my arms toward the ceiling, I turned to smile at my husband.

Gohan’s side of the bed was empty, but I could hear him moving around downstairs, clinking pots and pans while he prepared himself breakfast before work. It was surprising that he was doing it instead of waiting for me to wake up and cook for both him and our fourteen year old daughter, Pan. As usual, he’d eat, give me a quick peck on the cheek, and I wouldn’t see him until much later on.

I reluctantly slipped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom to prepare myself for the day. Pan would be waking up for school soon and I liked seeing her off before she also vanished for the day. My family was growing up, which disappointed me a little more than I liked to admit. Gohan was always working to make sure Pan and I could live comfortably, but it got lonely sometimes.

Taking a morning shower always helped brighten up the day. The lukewarm water washed away my exhaustion and helped inspire me to get more things accomplished. Maybe Gohan would come early from work and we could spar in the fields like we used to when we were kids. I massaged some shampoo into my scalp and closed my eyes, relishing in those memories. Now he was always at the office, leaving almost no time for him to dedicate to Pan and I.

After I was clean and feeling much better, I stepped from the shower and started rubbing myself down with a towel. My eyes caught my reflection in the foggy mirror: Videl Satan, the once proud fighter, had been reduced to a bored housewife. But it wasn’t like I regretted my life with Gohan and our daughter we had together. I loved them both dearly. It was just… hard being alone all the time.

When I walked downstairs to the kitchen, my husband was stacking his dirty dishes in the sink. He was wearing a black suit and his thick-rimmed glasses as usual, giving him a scholarly appearance. His hair was carefully spiked up and the faint aroma of cologne filled the small kitchen. I smiled at Gohan and took his face in both of my hands to kiss him on the lips. 

“Good morning,” I said.

“Hello, Videl.” Gohan kissed me chastely and gently extricated himself from my arms. “I’ll be heading to work now. Make sure you aren’t up too late, ok?”

What was I, a child? 

The stairs creaked, announcing the arrival of our only child. Pan swept into the kitchen with her cell phone pressed against her ear. She was already having a conversation with Bulla and it was only nine in the morning! She gave us a small wave and helped herself to some cereal, waving before walking out the front door with the entire box in her arms.

Gohan kissed me once more on the cheek and left right behind her with his coat swung over his shoulder. When the door shut, I was alone once again with a house I had already cleaned ten times over the day before. I turned to the sink and started washing the dishes when I heard a knock on the door.

“Hey Videl, d’you think I could stay here for a little while?”

The sound of the plea made me groan. Goku had been coming to our house for a while now since he and Chichi now fought on a daily basis. I dried off my hands and rushed over to open up the door, where my father –in-law was standing, holding a bag full of clothes under his arm. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, apologizing up and down as he walked inside.

“It’s no problem,” I assured him. “We all have our hard times, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Hey, do you have anything to eat? I’m starving!”

I rolled my eyes and led him into the kitchen, offering him some cereal before I could make him a meal fit to feed a Saiyan. Gohan had a huge appetite, but it paled in comparison to Goku’s. Maybe he’d settle for what I normally made instead of eating us out of house and home.

Goku took a seat and poured the entire bowl of cereal down his throat before I could blink. “I make her mad an awful lot. Does Gohan annoy you?”

“Not really. He’s too busy working to bother me very much.” I opened the fridge to take out two dozen eggs and showed the boxes to Goku. “I know you’re used to eating more than this, but I’ve gotta save some for your son when he comes home.”

“That’s fine with me!”

The flames on the oven burst into flame and I quickly cracked open all the eggs to cook them as soon as possible. Saiyans grew impatient when they weren’t fed and I knew none of them could focus on fighting if their stomach was grumbling. Goku would probably head out to spar with Vegeta after he was full and come back in a few hours looking for more.

It took a few minutes for the eggs to finish. I piled them up on two plates and placed them in front of Goku, along with some ketchup and two glasses of water. He thanked me profusely and gave me another one of his giddy smiles. He was like a kid in a candy shop.

I sat across from with a glass of apple juice and we sat in silence, save for the sound of Goku chewing. It was nice to have some company at the house; I never minded having my father-in-law over. Gohan was always busy, so he never had time to just sit and talk with me. I cupped the glass in my hands and took a small drink, musing over what my husband was doing.

Goku was done eating within a few minutes. He pushed back from the table and sighed, patting his stomach contently. “Wow, that was good, Videl! I can help clean up if you want me to.”

“It’s alright, I don’t have much else to do.” I collected the dirty dishes and added them to the warm water in the sink. “So what’s wrong with Chichi?”

“Oh, nothing really. I came home and my shoes were dirty and she had just cleaned the floor. It was kind of my fault when you think about it. So I just left before she threw me out.”

It was hard not to scowl. “That’s ridiculous. You shouldn’t let her push you around like that. If Gohan does that, I just tell him to be careful next time. It’s not like we housewives have much else to do all day. I’ve cleaned every nook and cranny of this place.”

Goku grinned and was about to reply when the door opened again. My husband walked inside with a confused look on his face and shut it behind himself. Why was he home already? He’d left fifteen minutes ago. Gohan threw his jacket on the couch and shrugged in response to my stare.

“Forgot I had today off,” he said, pulling out a chair next to Goku.

“That’s great! Maybe you and Videl can spar with Vegeta and I?”

His son waved him off and laughed. “No, I don’t have time. I’ll probably catch up on some extra work. The life of a businessman doesn’t leave time for silly games. But you can go, Videl. It’d be nice for you to get out and have fun. I’m just too busy today.”

My shoulders visibly slumped, rousing Goku’s attention. He glanced between Gohan and I before rising to his feet and gesturing for me to follow him. “Well if Gohan’s gonna be inside all day, I think he can do the dishes for you. Come on, let’s go have fun! I promise Vegeta will go easy on you.”

Gohan grimaced at the sink full of dishes as I eagerly followed Goku out the door. He only smirked when I thanked him profusely for saving me from an afternoon of cleaning. 

“I’m kind of rusty, so stay true to your promise about making sure Vegeta doesn’t beat me up,” I said.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Grab on to me; it’ll be much faster if I use instant transmission.”

I hastily gripped his forearm and closed my eyes as Goku placed two fingertips to his forehead. For some reason, I felt like he had broken me from chains. Before we disappeared into the transmission tunnel, I snuck a peek at him. He had a huge smile plastered on his face as if he was up to something. And I couldn’t help but grin hugely at the prospect of finally having fun.


	2. Sparring

We appeared in front of a large, shimmering lake, lined on either side by great pine trees. I sighed happily at the sight and inhaled the clean mountain air, exhilarated to be away from the house. It reminded me of when I took Pan out for picnics when she was young. Now she was too busy with her friends, but she used to love spreading out the checkered blanket and having sandwiches with me. Maybe she would come home early today and be willing to go out somewhere.

On the lakeside stood Vegeta with both arms crossed and an angry scowl marring his features. He shook his head as Goku and I approached. “Why did you bring a woman? She’ll only slow us down.”

“Aw, come on, Vegeta. Videl just wanted to come with us. I’ll spar with you first so you can fight me at full strength, okay?”

The Saiyan prince rolled his eyes and flew off into the air to await the arrival of Goku. He turned to me and smiled sheepishly, apologizing with his eyes for what Vegeta said. When he was sure I wasn’t affronted by Vegeta’s words, he waved and took off into the air after him. 

I walked over to the lakeside and took off my shoes to dip my feet in the cold water. It would probably be more beneficial for me to practice before I took Goku on, but I knew he’d go easy on me. The only people he truly tested were his sons and Vegeta. Sparring with me was a joke to someone as powerful as he was, but I appreciated the effort.

The sky lit up gold from the clashing of the two Super Saiyans throwing everything they had at each other. I kicked my feet gently in the clear water and hummed while they sparred. When Gohan and I were first married, he enjoyed having nightly battles with his father. But everyone had to grow up and my husband became enveloped in college. After, he found a good job and it was hard for him to get time away because he was busy supporting Pan and I.

Goku slammed into the earth several yards from me, generating a shockwave that nearly pushed me into the lake. I winced against the wind and laughed when he vaulted back into the air to throw a ball of condensed energy back at Vegeta. Watching them battle was entertaining to me, though it bothered Chichi quite a bit to see her “meathead” husband fighting instead of working. I’d been fully prepared to accept the warrior side of Gohan, but it never truly surfaced.

Not that I was disappointed in my husband. No, I was proud of him for behaving like a grown man and being a loving father. But sometimes I couldn’t help but feel upset with him for blatantly ignoring me. I almost wished he acted more like Goku and less like Chichi. 

Their scuffle ended half an hour later with both Saiyans sufficiently exhausted. Vegeta collapsed several feet away, chest heaving, and scooped up mouthfuls of water from the pristine lake. When I turned to see where Goku had gone, I shrieked in shock to see him standing stark naked in the water. He grinned from ear to ear and sank up to his neck in the lake.

“Sorry about that, Videl,” he said. “I forgot nakedness makes people uncomfortable. Let me just relax for a bit and we can spar soon. Vegeta always wipes me out.”

“Take your time. Just don’t stand up again, please.”

“You’re bothering the woman, Kakorot. Have you no honor?”

Goku cocked his head. “I already apologized. If being naked is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. I’ve known Videl for a long time and I know it doesn’t bother her at all. She’s seen Gohan naked and he and I are related, so what’s the big deal?”

There was no point in explaining the situation to him. It’d just go right over his head. When Vegeta and I gave up on chastising him, he began whistling merrily and paddling through the lake. I laid back on the cool grass and closed my eyes to take a cat nap before Goku was relaxed enough to spar. 

Just when I was drifting off to sleep, I felt something tug on my ankle. My eyes opened just in time for me to be dragged into the lake, fully clothed and squealing in shock. I slipped underneath the water and struggled to see through the murky depths to glare at my assailant, Goku. He grinned and pulled me to the surface when I made a murderous gesture across my throat.

“What was that for?!” I demanded, treading water to stay afloat.

“You weren’t focused. You’ve gotta be ready at all times, Videl. Someone could attack at any minute!”

I turned to pull myself out of the water and Goku helped me out, accidentally pressing himself against my back. The contact didn’t do anything to him, but I felt a strange tingling sensation slither through my entire body. What was it, discomfort? Or could it be—

“Videl? Is that you?”

After wiping the water away from my face, I could see Gohan walking quickly across the grass towards me, still clinging desperately to the bank. When I tried to pull myself on land, I slipped right back into Goku’s arms. He laughed at my failure and gripped me under my armpits to hand me up to my husband like I was a ragdoll. Being human never felt so pathetic.

Gohan placed me on the ground and put his hands on his hips. “Videl, this is why you shouldn’t be hanging around them. Dad’s too rough sometimes.”

“I can handle myself,” I said bitingly. “He was just joking around.”

As if to prove my point, Goku climbed out of the lake stark naked and nodded. All three of us turned away, yelling at him to put on some clothes. He didn’t think much for being such a powerful man. He apologized sadly and walked back to his pile of clothes.

“It’s kind of inappropriate,” Gohan said, covering his eyes.

“I’ve seen a naked man before.”

“Okay, but I’m not my father. Let’s go, Videl.” He grabbed my wrist and took off into the air without another word to his father.

Annoyed, I turned to the side to stare back at the shrinking figures of Vegeta and Goku, the latter of whom was shaking his head.


	3. Argument

Our argument started the minute the front door was closed. My husband angrily accused me of adultery, which I vehemently denied until I was blue in the face. How could he think I was capable of something like that? Goku was my father-in-law, not some strange man I met on the street. I’d known him for many years and he could tell I was feeling down in the dumps. He was trying to be nice, as always, and his childlike innocence made him forget that some things were inappropriate.

Gohan tossed his glasses carelessly on the table and rubbed his eyes like he was arguing with a small child over something trivial. “Videl, what do you want from me? I’m doing everything I can to keep you and Pan safe and happy. Am I the bad guy for trying to keep you two off the streets? My father is middle aged now and he still doesn’t know how to act like an adult. He’s always irritating my mother; tracking dirt, eating like a pig, and vanishing for months at a time.

“Growing up is part of life. I’m not sure where you’ve been for the past fourteen years, but we’ve raised a daughter in that time. We’re responsible for the wellbeing of another person. Father never understood what parenthood was and I’m not going to make the same mistakes. Pan needs two adults raising her instead of one.”

“As if you’re ever here to even speak to her!” I snapped. “Pan is fourteen; she’s practically an adult herself. She comes home, eats, sleeps, and leaves. That’s also a part of growing up, Gohan. Now that she’s older and can take care of herself for the most part, I’d like to go out and have some fun every once in a while. What’s so wrong with that?”

“Just stay away from him. He’s a bad influence. God knows how I turned out normal. If it wasn’t for Chichi, I’d be a brainless brute just like him and Vegeta. Thankfully my human side is stronger than the Saiyan influence, or Pan wouldn’t have ever known her own father.” Gohan clenched his hands into fists, fuming. “He always left without a second thought. He wasn’t there for my childhood and he refused to come back even when Goten was due to be born. He’s a selfish, stupid—”

“How could you talk about your own father that way? He’s flesh and blood!”

“Why is he manhandling my wife in the middle of nowhere?” he snarled. “I saw him grabbing you in the water like some animal. Maybe he should treat Chichi that way instead.”

A disgusted sound left my mouth before I could stop it. This was a side of Gohan I truly detested seeing. When he was angry, the gloves were off. The most cruel, hurtful things could spew from him like vomit and he wouldn’t bat an eye, brushing it off as “releasing steam.” Still, it was better than Goku and Chichi’s version of arguing. All that ended with was Goku running for his life and apologizing up and down for mistakes he never made.

“He was joking around. We’re family, Gohan, not strangers. Your father used to take baths with Pan when she was a baby, so does that make him a pedophile? No, he was doing what he always does: acting like a kid and enjoying himself. Goten or Trunks would have done the same thing.”

Before Gohan could launch a counterattack, there was a shy knock on the door. He growled and pushed past me with a promise that our argument would continue later. I sighed and opened the door to let the source of our fight inside, still sopping wet but lacking his usual goofy smile. Goku noticed my expression and panicked, quickly kicking off his shoes and bending down to wipe up the small spots of dirt on the linoleum. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled up, trying to communicate that it was unnecessary.

“Dirt never hurt anyone,” I said. “Sorry about the way your son was acting.”

Goku shrugged and looked at the floor. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been fooling around like that in the first place. It’s only okay with the kids, like Chichi always says.”

“Hey, cheer up. Want something to eat? I bet you’re hungry.”

It garnered the response I had been hoping for. Any mention of food always got Goku excited and chattering again. He followed me into the kitchen with a long tale about catching a huge fish after Gohan and I left, animating the story with hand movements and facial expressions. I had a hard time focusing on making food after a while. He was so damn good at making people feel better.

Gohan appeared at the bottom of the stairs after I had put several chickens in the oven to keep the Saiyans more full than they had been in the morning. My husband awkwardly drummed his hands on the wall to catch Goku’s attention and cleared his throat when his father failed to turn and look at him. Once he did, Gohan straightened up and pointed his chin to make himself look more imposing. From the corner of my eye, I could see Goku grinning.

“Dad, you should probably go home to mom,” Gohan said.

“But she’ll throw me out again. I know you’re upset about earlier, son. Can we put it behind us so we can enjoy this meal Videl is making? It smells good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, come sit, Gohan,” I said, pulling out a chair for him. “You were right, I shouldn’t have gone out earlier. Your father and I agreed not to do it again unless you’re okay with it. Maybe on your next day off we can all go out for a picnic?”

Our cheery reply threw my husband off. He stammered an agreement and took the seat I offered him gratefully before throwing himself into a conversation with Goku. I put on a few pots of vegetables to go with their chicken and sighed in relief when they started laughing. Gohan wasn’t one to express emotion very much, but when he did, it was fierce. I hadn’t known he got jealous so easily. 

Still, getting something out of Gohan was better than being pecked on the cheek and ignored. My smile widened and I felt truly happy for the first time in forever. But that was part of being in Goku’s presence. Even if you were furious with him, it didn’t last very long. He could quell a fight in minutes or beat the living daylights out of anyone who dared stand against him. I wondered if Gohan dropped the argument because he knew deep down that his father wouldn’t be his friendly self if his son accused him of adultery. It didn’t seem like something Goku would take lightly.

The food was finished a while later and the two Saiyans eagerly dug in, much to my delight. I hadn’t gone to school since Gohan earned enough money to support Pan and me, so being a housewife was my job. Thankfully I had learned how to cook from Chichi, who also taught Bulma to keep Vegeta from complaining about her being “worthless.” 

Everything was gone within minutes, creating a new pile of dishes in the sink. Gohan stretched and sleepily smiled at me while his father rose from the table and yawned.

“I’m gonna head to bed,” Goku said. “Do you still have the guest room upstairs?”

“Yup, help yourself,” Gohan said. 

When Goku thanked me and left for bed, I drew water in the sink to start doing the dishes. Gohan walked up next to me and watched me scrub the cooking grease off the pans. Nothing was more annoying that being stared at while doing something unpleasant. I splashed some water at him and he irately backed off, pulling his shirt from his chest to glare at the spots of soap.

“What’s your problem?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’m just joking. Jeez, relax for once.”

“This is what I’m talking about, Videl. You need to stop acting like a child. I was sincerely hoping you would mature the longer we were married, but you’re still just like Goku.”

“Gohan, I splashed water on you. Do you want to argue over water?”

My husband scowled and swiped the dish cloth from my shoulder. “I’m sleeping on the couch. You can stay in our room and think about what you’ve just done.”

“Stop talking to me like I’m a child!” I demanded, stamping my foot to drive the point home. 

“Then stop acting like one!”

I angrily threw one of the dishes on the floor without thinking and it shattered into a million pieces at my feet, sending ceramic shards everywhere. The immaturity of my action took a minute to settle in, but when I did, I ran from the room hiding my face so Gohan couldn’t see me tearing up. He was right, as usual. I was behaving like a spoiled brat instead of a grown woman.

Pan’s bedroom door was closed when I wandered down the hall past my bedroom to check on her. It meant she was home (thankfully), but probably fast asleep and not in the mood to be bothered. I shuffled back to the master bedroom and quietly shut the door behind myself before I started crying pitifully. The ferocity of my tears literally brought me to my knees, giving me the chance to pound the carpeted floor with my fists. It wasn’t fair. Why was I becoming so eager to leave?

When the realization that I was unhappy with my home life hit me, I was unwilling to accept it. It was the influence of Goku. He always made me feel… liberated. Around him, anyone could feel like a young kid again. Everyone except Chichi, that is. She was always looking for a reason to yell at the poor man in spite of everything he had done for planet Earth. He was a bit flaky sometimes, but he had good reason to be. It wasn’t laziness, it was his duty as the protector of Earth.

My weeping slowed down until I could think and breathe normally again. I hoisted myself off the floor and crawled into my big, empty bed with a heavy heart. Gohan would be gone in the morning and he wouldn’t be interested in arguing after a long day of work. I’d be trapped inside with my own foul feelings, stuck with facing them alone and debating with myself.

As I slowly drifted off to sleep, I heard the bedroom door creak open ever so slightly. “Gohan, go downstairs. I really don’t feel like talking right now.”

“It’s me, Videl.”

My eyes popped open and I sat up swiftly to see Goku stepping inside the bedroom unsurely. When I motioned for him to come in, he carefully shut the door behind himself and clasped his hands in front of his stomach. He was twiddling his thumbs like I was going to yell at him.

“Come sit,” I offered, patting the space at my feet. “Gohan’s asleep so we aren’t fighting anymore tonight. Even if we did, it’d be pointless. What’s up with you?”

“I just feel guilty for what happened.” Goku sat cross-legged next to me rather than where I had intended for him to be. It was kind of uncomfortable. “I’m really sorry, Videl. Earlier today wasn’t supposed to be anything sexual, I promise.”

“You really think I don’t know that? We’re family, and part of that is teasing and having fun. I know a lot of people don’t like you acting silly but I don’t mind at all. You’re a funny man who’s been through quite a bit in his life. Please don’t apologize to me for trying to be friendly.”

An odd expression passed over Goku’s face. Was there some malice I detected in his eyes? “Wow, thanks! You’re much easier to talk to than Chichi.” He rubbed the back of his head, a compulsion he’d carried for a long time. “Hopefully Gohan doesn’t say anything to her or she’ll have my hide. I’d like to go home and sleep next to her again. I miss how she used to be.

“But forget about that. What’s up with Gohan? He’s always been like Chichi, but now their resemblance is uncanny. Since when is he such a jerk?”

“Oh, well, I don’t know. He’s wrapped up in work. Someone has to pay the bills.”

“Grandpa Gohan and I always found ways to make it by. Neither of us worked and I wouldn’t get a job if my life depended on it.” He crossed his arms. “Life is too short to be worried about work. I can grow my own food and catch it, too. And I bet you could teach Pan yourself. You’re pretty smart, Videl.”

My cheeks flushed pink at the unexpected compliment. Gohan told me I was good at my wifely duties, but he didn’t treat me like an equal anymore. I’d lost a lot of my combat power when we settled down and had Pan. “Gee, thanks. If only Gohan understood that when she was young. I would’ve loved to homeschool her instead of shipping her off every morning.”

“That’s the life! Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman.”

The room suddenly felt too hot and stuffy for my liking. I tugged on the collar of my nightgown and avoided his now steely gaze. “Yeah, thanks. I should get to bed. It’s late.”

“I can wait here if you want. In case Gohan gets mad again and you guys have another argument. I’ll defend you, no problem.” Goku gave me a thumbs up and winked.

“That’s fine, he’s probably sound asleep. Head back to bed and see if Chichi is willing to let you back into your own house tomorrow morning.”

Goku grimaced, but finally took the hint and performed a graceful somersault to land back in front of the bedroom door. He smiled, gave me a small wave, and left. It reminded me of Gohan when he was younger and we were first married. He’d always been tons of fun.

I laid back down in bed, reminiscing more than I should. Thinking of the past just made living with the present that much harder. When I teetered off the edge of consciousness and fell asleep, I could have sworn someone was watching me from the window.


	4. Strange Behavior

When I awoke the next morning, I immediately knew the house was empty. My joints ached somewhat as I sat up in bed and squinted in the blinding sunlight. Was it already mid-afternoon? Normally the sun woke me up in time to see Pan off to school. Not that she ever said much to me. Bulla picked her up in the car Bulma bought for her sixteenth birthday, making her much more interesting than me.

The stairs groaned as I slowly trumped down them to the mess awaiting me in the kitchen. If Gohan was as angry as I thought, he wouldn’t have even touched the stack. I dejectedly shuffled in the small room and gasped in shock at what I saw. Was I going crazy?

Our sink was empty and appeared to have been cleaned out after the dishes were finished, leaving the silver sparkling in the sunlight. The ceramic bowl had been swept up and the floor was cleaned. As I gaped openly at the scene, my eyes fell upon a note placed on the table. My heart pounded fervently, hoping it was an apology from Gohan. Maybe he didn’t want another argument later.

But the scribbles were definitely not my husband’s. It took me a few minutes to decipher the simple message: that Goku had cleaned up the kitchen as thanks for me letting him stay the night. I couldn’t help but smile at his attempt to be a gentleman, something Chichi pestered him about constantly. The man barely knew how to write but he still put forth the effort of making a nice thank-you note.

I posted it on the refrigerator and hurried back upstairs to take a quick shower. Chichi might be in the mood for some company and I wanted to say something to Goku for cleaning up in the kitchen. It was no problem opening my home to him. We were family, after all. What was I supposed to do, leave him sleeping in the streets? 

My shower only lasted a few minutes as opposed to the normal half hour; I cleaned my hair thoroughly and washed myself, but didn’t waste time enjoying the cascading water. As soon as I was finished I hopped out and threw on a casual set of clothes to visit in. Chichi didn’t mind people being dressed down, as long as they weren’t dirty or bloody. Which was exactly why Goku bothered her so much. If he wasn’t covered in gore, there was blood pouring out of him.

As I fixed my hair in the bathroom mirror, the doorbell downstairs rang. It surprised me so much that I nearly slipped and fell in my haste to answer it. Was Gohan off of work again? No, he would have his house key. He shouldn’t need me to open the door for him. Must I do everything?

“Sorry,” I apologized as I pulled open the door, “I was just… Oh, hi Chichi!”

My mother-in-law stepped inside my house and pulled me into a tight embrace without saying anything. My shock must have been evident in my failure to return the gesture because she quickly pulled away and offered a neat bow as greeting. “Hello, Videl. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing. And thank you for taking in Goku the other day. He’s such a kid sometimes.”

“He’s no problem. Why don’t you have a seat? I was just about to start breakfast for myself.” I led her into the kitchen and pulled the note off the fridge to show her. “Your husband is converting to being well-behaved. He cleaned the kitchen for me last night!”

“Ugh, he never helps me around the house. All he does is track dirt inside! Did Gohan and Pan already leave for the day? My Goten does that now. It’s so sad watching them grow up.” Chichi rested her chin in her palm and sighed.

“Yeah, Pan is out on her own for the most part now. You already know how busy Gohan is with work, since he has to support all three of us. It doesn’t bother me too much being here alone. After having such a rambunctious girl growing up I enjoy the peace and solitude.”

“At least your husband works! Goku still refuses to get a job.”

It didn’t seem appropriate for me to tell Chichi I had an in-depth discussion with Goku about why he didn’t work the night before, so I settled for agreeing and putting on coffee. Thankfully we were both human women and my house wouldn’t be devoid of food after we were full. I took out a box of donuts and placed them on the table in front of her; she didn’t need an invitation to help herself.

Chichi vented to me for the next three or so hours, leaving her tired and spent by five. We hugged again and she left for home, hopefully too exhausted from ranting to belittle her husband. As I stood by the door and watched her vanish over the horizon, I saw my husband flying in from the opposite direction with his coat slung over one arm. His expression hardened the closer he came, so I took the chance to get back inside and hole myself up in our bedroom.

Gohan slammed the door shut behind himself and stomped up the stairs. I groaned in dread of the ensuing fight and crept under the covers to make it look like I had fallen asleep for a quick catnap. Sure he saw me standing at the door a few minutes ago, but I could’ve gone to sleep by now. My eyes shut just as our bedroom door flew open and my aggravated husband walked inside.

“This room reeks of father,” he said in disgust. “What were you two doing last night?”

“Talking. Do you mind? It’s been a long day and I’m trying to nap.”

“Why do you keep shutting me out, Videl? Lately you’ve been making me so mad, and I try not to give in to such petty feelings nowadays. Chichi taught me responsibility.”

“Before you started worrying about me having an affair with my father you had practically turned to stone. There’s nothing wrong with being angry. Even though you have no reason to be, I’m glad you’re finally showing me some emotion and talking instead of being passive-aggressive.”

My husband snorted disdainfully. “If I think my wife is being unfaithful, of course I’ll be furious. Why else would our bedroom smell so strongly of him? If he comes here again looking for a place to stay, don’t let him. There’s a lot of people willing to take him in besides us.”

“I thought we were over this. Are you getting worked up again over the water thing?”

Gohan stiffened visibly, then waved me off and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. I rushed to our window to see him take off into the air, probably to go spar with Piccolo for the first time in forever. What was wrong with him? Goku didn’t bother him at all until the events at the lake. And it wasn’t like he had been actually hitting on me or anything. We were joking. Now Gohan was paranoid that Goku and I were sneaking around behind his back.

The doorbell suddenly rang again and I hoped to Kami it wasn’t Chichi coming back to complain some more. Anyone would be an improvement, even Vegeta. When I dragged open the heavy door again, I was pleasantly surprised to see Goku standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He kicked a pebble off my porch and didn’t raise his gaze from the ground. Another fight.

I wordlessly opened the door all the way to let him in, completely disregarding Gohan’s demand that I ban him from our home. That just wasn’t right. How could he tell me to throw Goku out if he needed a warm place to sleep? Vegeta certainly wouldn’t want him at his home. Bulma wouldn’t care, but I knew the rivalry between the two Saiyans was enormous. He’d love to see Goku sleeping outside.

Goku walked into the living room and dropped his bag of clothing on the floor sullenly. They’d had a huge rift this time. He’d be out for a week, at least. He plopped on the couch and realized he’d tracked dirt in on his shoes, which just made him even more irritated. I gently placed a hand on his arm to keep him from destroying the house in a fit of rage. The last thing I needed right now was to be homeless. Gohan would be really pissed if he came home to rubble.

“I can never do anything right,” Goku said miserably. “She always yells. I try so hard to make her happy, like I always have, and she yells so much. Do you know what I’m doing wrong? You never yell at Gohan. He’s usually the one picking fights. Sometimes I forget the little things and I know it makes her so mad, but I can’t help being scatterbrained.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Look, maybe you should spend some time away from Chichi. Whenever I do that with Gohan we come back and everything is alright again. I’m sure you can stay in the guest bedroom until she calms down and realizes how much you mean to her. Don’t doubt yourself so much, Goku. Everyone has problems in their marriage.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry for barging in like that.”

“No worries, you’re always welcome. Gohan came home and left in a huff so I like the company.”

Goku smiled broadly and took my hand between his massive palms, obscuring it from view. “Thank you so much. Gohan really lucked out when he met you.”

Once again, an uncomfortable feeling prickled at the base of my spine. The expression on his face looked less than genuine. Was he hiding something beneath it? Even as I stared at him, trying to pick apart the smile, his eyes narrowed and bore right back into mine. It felt like a challenge.

“Well I’m gonna see if Bulma wants to go shopping,” I said awkwardly. “Make yourself comfortable, okay? And if Gohan comes home and gives you any grief, just ignore him. He still thinks we’re having an affair. How ridiculous is he?” I giggled until I noticed Goku’s gaze hadn’t slackened back into a grin. Was I imagining things? I had to be. When I tried to stand up, he grabbed my wrist.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” he asked innocently.

“Uh, no. I just have some things to do. Won’t Vegeta want to spar?”

A tense moment passed between us; we were each waiting to see how the other would respond. Goku blinked like he was snapping out of a trance and released me. “Oh yeah, we could do that. I’ll see ya later, Videl. Gohan and I can talk when he comes home.”

Nervous, I left the house before anything more could happen and took a steadying breath. The outside air was a welcome relief from the stuffy atmosphere inside. Unfortunately, it meant I’d be trekking it to Bulma’s instead of calling her for a ride. Flying was almost as fast but my clothes wouldn’t be in the best condition when I got there. But it was a sacrifice I had to make. Goku was acting strangely.


	5. Fortunetelling

The Briefs household was a whirlwind of commotion when I arrived around nightfall. Trunks was arguing loudly with Vegeta, who actually powered up until his black hair had turned gold and lengthened slightly. Bulma stood between the two of them with one dainty hand on each chest, demanding that they stop and talk their problems out. Off to the side, Bulla and my Pan were watching the ensuing fight excitedly, digging their hands into a big bowl of popcorn. My life would have been much worse if I married into this family. Vegeta could be a monster.

Bulma finally turned to Vegeta and bluntly told him to go away before she called Goku, which only served to make him angrier. I hesitantly fingered the hem of my shirt and waited for one of them to acknowledge me. Arguing was an integral part of the Briefs family. It acted as a coherent force bonding all of them together into one awkward, malfunctioning unit. Bulma and Vegeta were both so headstrong that they collided almost constantly. Chichi was just too overbearing for Goku. He couldn’t defend himself properly like Vegeta did.

A split second before he turned to fly out the window, Vegeta’s eyes fell upon me standing in front of the door. It attracted his wife’s attention and she immediately rushed over to apologize for his behavior. He stared at me unwaveringly for a few moments and a ghost of a smile twitched the corners of his mouth. The Saiyan Prince was gone in a heartbeat.

“Hey, Videl!” Trunks said, offering a friendly wave.

Bulma pulled me into a hug and squeezed tightly before releasing me so I could greet him in return. Bulla and Pan looked disappointed that the fight had dissipated and walked upstairs without as much as a “hello.” My own daughter couldn’t bring herself to recognize my presence in the room. It broke my heart to see Pan walking off like that when she used to refuse to leave my side as a child.

“I was wondering if you were up for a shopping trip?” I asked.

“Of course! We just sold a new prototype hovercraft to the government, so Vegeta and Trunks were trying to decide what to do with the money. I think I can spend some on myself, don’t you?” Bulma turned to her son expectantly and he sighed. “I’ll take half and you can split the rest with your father.”

“Okay!” Trunks said, brightening up considerably.

Their family had so much money that it made me kind of sick. It was rotten jealousy making me feel so poorly, but Bulma worked even harder than Gohan for what she earned. The woman was a genius. She had invented the Dragon Radar and countless other things that made day-to-day life even easier. I remembered her wedding gift to Gohan and I: an entire island contained in an itty-bitty capsule, available for our use whenever we wanted a break. But it was collecting dust on the bookshelf.

Bulma grabbed a set of keys off her kitchen counter and gave her son instructions on what chores needed to be done if he wanted his cut of the money. He agreed and flew out the window like Vegeta had, probably to force him to come back and help. Bulma then tapped her chin and detached a capsule attached to her keychain to give to me.

“Here, you need a car.”

“What? Bulma, I couldn’t. Gohan taught me how to fly forever ago.”

“I insist. What’s woman without a nice set of wheels, hm?”

The gift was so outrageous that I thanked her all the way up until we arrived at the mall. My own car! Even Gohan didn’t have one. I could fly, sure, but a vehicle was so convenient. It made me feel more integrated into society; like I was a normal housewife instead of being part of an alien family. Vegeta could show me a few tricks on how to fix it and I could be my own mechanic. I could even spruce it up with add-ons if I wanted to!

We walked around the crowded building with me trembling like a kid who was given a pony for their birthday and Bulma proudly leading me in and out of stores. For all her pitfalls, I had to admit that she’d become generous the older she got. Most of her money went to her kids and the rest she either donated or set aside for shopping. Bulma reminded me of Gohan without the crippling sense of responsibility he shouldered. Vegeta worked, too, but she was the true breadwinner. Yet for all the work she put in, she never complained. And she had tons of free time to spend with her family.

At that moment, I wished she and Gohan could have a meeting. Maybe she could tell him what it meant to be a provider. You weren’t a machine with one purpose. Life was all about taking chances and having fun with what you chose, not sitting in an office cooped up all day. Goku had the right idea. Life was too short to waste working. It sounded silly of me, but I was glad I could be a stay at home mom. 

Our wanderings brought us to a psychic store, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of weird “magical” relics. Bulma clapped her hands together excitedly and dragged me to the back where a hunched old woman sat in front of a crystal ball. Her skin looked kind of purple, which wasn’t something outlandish to me. Piccolo was green, after all. She was probably from another planet. Her ears were even pointed like his and two golden balls hung from each lobe. 

The woman raised her head, showing us her wrinkled face. She smiled. “Would you like your fortune told? I can tell you of money, love, and death.”

Before I could reach into my purse to fish out the outlandishly high fee she charged, Bulma handed her two bills and told her to keep the change. The old woman blinked in surprise, but gathered her intimidating nature from before and motioned for Bulma to take a seat. She waved her hands in front of the opaque blue orb, occasionally squinting and raising an eyebrow.

“You will live a long life,” she said. “Yes… I see you will continue to be happily married to your husband, Vegeta. In the end, you will die peacefully in your sleep with him at your bedside.”

Bulma clasped her hands and closed her eyes. “Perfect.” She rose to her feet and pushed me down in the chair, ignoring my attempts to thank her for paying.

The hag waved her arms over the ball once more, stirring up shimmering clouds of dust within it. I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck while she stared intently into the depths of the perfectly spherical orb, trying to make out my future. The fact that she had known who Bulma married was interesting, but the rest seemed like phooey to me. 

“Oh? What is this?”

I turned my attention up to the old woman, who was squinting in disbelief at the orb. “What?” I asked impatiently. “Am I gonna die tomorrow?”

“There is another,” she said. “This one event clouds the rest of your future. He is powerful, brave, and cares very dearly for you. He will bring you to new heights. But I am not sure how it will end.”

“Another what?”

“You will discover that, in time. Remain vigilant, Videl. Jealousy in an ugly emotion.”

When Bulma thanked the woman and helped me up from the chair, I struggled desperately to fit the pieces together. Another what? Child? Was I pregnant again? Gohan and I hadn’t had sex in a month, but it was technically possible. Maybe I’d make a new friend who would bring me out places. Damn fortunetellers were so vague with their prophecies. Now I’d be pondering over it all day.

We left the mall after Bulma had filled up several bags with clothing and jewelry. She bought Gohan a new pair of designer glasses and I was once again reduced to sputtering out “thank you” as many times as possible. We loaded everything into her car and left for the Briefs household. Another nice thing about a vehicle was that I didn’t have to bog myself down with groceries from now on. It could all just sit in the backseat or the trunk instead of weighing me to the ground.

Vegeta was waiting outside when we pulled up the house. He wordlessly helped carry Bulma’s bags inside and she winked slyly at me as we walked in. Being in control of most of the money made it easy for her to employ her husband into helping out. Laziness in regards to house chores apparently only ran on Goku’s side of the family. Gohan never wanted to help me do dishes or clean up.

The house was full of people. The minute my foot crossed the threshold, Gohan embraced me in a smothering hug that nearly crushed my ribcage. He quickly apologized and released, telling me he was sorry for being so rash above the noise. I shrugged and handed him the glasses Bulma bought. His face lit up and he kissed me before vanishing into the crowd to thank her. I pushed past various faces--Number 18, Krillin, Goten, Piccolo—until I arrived at the kitchen counter. There I sat, waiting for my husband to rejoin with me.

Goku was ejected from the hubbub soon after me and took a seat to my left. The sad look on his face had been replaced with the usual happy grin, something I missed seeing. Chichi must have been at home, because she would’ve been on his back all night. He tried to say something to me, but it was drowned out by the voices. I cupped my ear to show him I couldn’t hear, so he leaned forward and touched my cheek to whisper into my ear.

“Fortunetelling is a waste of money,” he said, breath tickling my skin. “Of course, if it’s a Supreme Kai telling you things, you’d better pay attention.”

I pulled away to stare at him in disbelief. How did he know what Bulma and I had been doing earlier? Bulma must have told him before he approached me with his cryptic message. Nothing else made sense. Unless he was somehow invisible in the room or reading my mind, he couldn’t have known.

All I could manage was a forced thumbs up, given the uncomfortable situation. Goku started the speak again, then lost his patience and grabbed my arm. When he placed two fingers to his forehead, I realized he wanted to speak somewhere quieter. It wasn’t a good idea with Gohan still antsy about us being alone together, but I had no choice. We vanished in a flash of light.


	6. Secrets

Instant transmission brought us directly outside Bulma’s house, almost on her doorstep. I wryly wondered why Goku had transmitted us a few feet instead of leading me out. It was stupid to perform such a complicated motion just to set us almost exactly where we had been a few moments ago. Gohan wouldn’t be happy if he saw us standing outside. Alone. In the dark. This was bound to start another huge, week-long argument. Oh Kami, why me?

“So how did you know we had our fortunes told?”

Goku cocked his head. “Bulma told me. She was explaining how the woman looked so I figured I’d give you a heads up that Supreme Kais don’t tell faulty fortunes. You should really listen to what she said and try to figure it out. Especially if it’s clouding the rest of your future.”

“Did Gohan overhear you talking about it?”

“Yeah, he was there. He looked kind of mad and stomped off, though. I’m not sure why. Maybe you’re having another kid sometime soon?” He knelt down on the ground and stared intently at my stomach. “I bet he’ll be just as rambunctious as Gohan was when he was a kid. You’ll certainly have your hands full!”

“I don’t think I’m pregnant, so I’m not sure what she meant.”

My father-in-law rose to his feet again, towering over me by at least a foot. He was still as muscled and toned as ever due to the training he put himself through every day. Gohan hadn’t trained for quite some time, up until the other day when he went to spar with Piccolo. He looked slim and studious, exactly how Chichi wanted him to be. Goku was still enormous.

He took a step closer and I moved one step back. “Think about it. There is another. He will bring you to new heights. If it isn’t a new child, or friend, what does that leave?”

The pieces of the puzzle clicked together neatly just as Gohan opened the door and inadvertently separated Goku and I. My husband asked what I had been doing standing alone outside and hugged me, giving room for my eyes to meet with Goku’s one more time. He beamed and winked before taking off without saying another word to either of us. Gohan hadn’t even noticed him standing there.

Was the witch inferring that I would have an affair with someone? No, that would never happen. I pleaded with Gohan to leave me be outside for a while so I didn’t have to breathe in the suffocating air inside, and he eventually left. It was hard to look him in the eye. Was the Supreme Kai right? Would I start an affair right under Gohan’s nose? The only man I could think of was—

“What are you doing, woman?”

Vegeta was standing a few feet away with his arms folded angrily, the same pose he normally stood in. the phrase seemed to be filled with more disgust than I cared for. It was accusatory. I glared at him and folded my arms across my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re toying with them. It’s unfitting of a mate.”

“Who am I toying with? Gohan is my husband, not my mate. We aren’t wild animals.”

“Why don’t you ask Kakorot?” he sneered, jerking his head in the direction Goku had flown off. “He’s lost all his honor as far as I can tell, so you might as well help move things along. There’s no point in either of you lying to your spouses anymore.”

“What the hell are you blabbering about?!”

The Saiyan price irately reached forward to grab me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me so close to his face that I could see individual spots of color in his irises. He growled at me and scowled even more deeply. “Kakorot takes things to heart. His fiendish wife has been treating him poorly, so he turned to you for support. And you willingly gave it to him. Now he’s jealous and obsessed.

“You’re married to his son so he can’t have you, but I would be very careful, woman. Kakorot may have a kind spirit and be willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but he’s a Saiyan deep inside. Resisting the urge to take you from Gohan is killing him.”

“Shut up. Goku doesn’t think that way.”

“Do you?”

The drilling look Vegeta gave me was too much. I launched into the air and took off towards home, afraid that what he was saying was true. He was crazy, just like Bulma. They both took things out of context sometimes. Goku was a very nice man with a very nice wife and they occasionally had an argument. There was nothing weird about letting him stay in my home during their rifts.

By the time I arrived home, all my fears and anxieties had nearly disappeared. Vegeta was just trying to incite another argument for the sake of doing so. He knew as well as I did that Goku and I were merely friends. We had some things in common: neglectful spouses, an innate desire to be in touch with our childish side, and a knack for shirking responsibility. So what? Chichi and I got along pretty well, too. And I loved going shopping with Bulma. There was nothing wrong.

I slid my house key in the lock and hurried inside. A nice pot of tea and some crackers would help calm me down. Back in the day I would find someone to spar with, but most of them were presently occupied, mad at me, or being… inappropriate. I shuffled into the kitchen and put a pot of water on to boil, then turned to make my way into the living room to watch some television.

Goku was standing across the small room, blocking the entranceway with his hulking body. He had his hands set on his hips and he was smiling. It looked menacing in the low light.

“Oh, you came here,” I faltered.

“Sure did! Where’s Gohan? Still at Bulma’s? I was hoping we could talk.”

“About what?”

“Oh nothing,” he said, grinning even wider. “Just Saiyan things. Say Videl, can you show me your neck? I thought I saw a bug there a minute ago.”

For some reason, showing him my throat seemed like a bad idea. Goku was acting just as weird as he had when we talked a few nights ago. The words he spoke were contrived, not spilling out of his mouth like they usually did. He was consciously piecing together sentences to keep me in the dark. Was his innocence and childish nature an act?

My hand moved up to rub the side of my neck. “It’s okay, there’s nothing there.”

“Show it to me.”

“No.”

A tense silence blanketed the room. We were locked in a staring contest, waiting to see what the other would do as we had last night. Goku’s smile melted into a blank stare and he was in front of me in the blink of an eye. He took both of my wrists in one hand to restrain me and twisted my neck to see if what he wanted was there. I didn’t dare take a breath. He could break me in half.

“Nothing,” he murmured. “Perfect.”

“What are you talking about?!”

A key crunched into the lock on the front door and Goku immediately released me to stand back and look nonchalant. I openly gawked at him, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Was this the same man who spent an entire day watching a nest full of pterodactyl eggs?

Gohan entered the house and flipped on the light switch to illuminate the kitchen. He didn’t pay much attention to his father, choosing instead to walk forward and kiss me on the cheek. I greeted him awkwardly and gave him a hug to immerse myself in his familiar scent. My husband always equaled security and comfort. He could make everything better in a heartbeat.

“Why don’t you head to bed?” he murmured. “I’ll be up in a few minutes. Goku and I need to talk.”

“Okay.”

When I turned up the stairs, I hid behind the wall so I could listen in on their conversation. The chairs squealed as the Saiyan men adjusted themselves for their “conversation,” which would probably turn into an argument. I steadied my breathing to keep quiet. Something peculiar was going on.

My husband sighed loudly. “Father, you need to go home.”

“Your mother threw me out. She always does.”

“I spoke to Chichi this morning. You two didn’t have a fight this morning. So why are you lying to Videl and repeatedly coming over here? Just be honest with me for once.”

“I don’t know, it’s just nice having some company that doesn’t involve disagreement. I’ve had a long life and I’m ready to settle down. Chichi resents me for not being there when she needed me and I’m not sure if she’ll ever forgive me. Can’t say I blame her, though.”

“You’ve been all over my wife, Goku.” Gohan rose from the table imposingly. “Leave Videl alone. She’s very confused and upset recently, so I don’t want you giving her any ideas.”

Goku just smiled. “Whatever you say, son. Hey, I couldn’t help noticing you didn’t make her your mate. You two have been married for a long time. Have you had second thoughts since the day of the wedding?”

“I’m not an animal like you and Vegeta. I don’t need to sink my teeth into Videl to prove I love her. All I need is a wedding band and a document that says we’re permanently bonded. Now if you don’t mind, we’re going to sleep. I’d appreciate it if you went back home. Chichi is expecting you.”

When they failed to say anything else, I took it as my cue to head upstairs. Gohan entered the bedroom a few minutes later with a foul look on his face. I waited for him to talk to me about what transpired in the kitchen, but he climbed into bed without even taking a second glance at me. I stared at his prone form for a few minutes before giving up and rolling over to fall asleep. What the hell was going on?


	7. Party

Everything returned to normal after several months passed without incident. Gohan and I fell back into our same old routine and Goku stopped coming over when he and Chichi argued. Bulma was more than happy to let him stay over when he needed to, though Vegeta didn’t like it. The brief drama between Goku and I floated away with the steady stream of normalcy. I didn’t see my father-in-law since the night he talked to Gohan and I wanted to keep it that way.

Oddly enough, Chichi began visiting me frequently to talk about Pan and how quickly she grew up. We’d have some afternoon tea and enjoy each other’s company until Gohan came home from work. My husband would kiss me, maybe give me a hug, and hole himself up in his office. I kind of missed the excitement Goku had brought into my life, but I didn’t want to jeopardize my relationship with Gohan. 

Gohan came home one evening with mildly exciting news: Bulma was hosting one of her famous parties and she had invited us to go. I almost turned down the offer but he appeared kind of interested in going, so I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. He went upstairs to get dressed and I walked into the kitchen to prepare something for the buffet table. If there would be a group of Saiyans at Bulma’s, we’d run out of food within fifteen minutes.

I prepared a vegetable platter and wrapped it up just as my husband called me into the hall. Gohan offered to carry it for me, but I politely declined. We decided to take the car Bulma had given me and I was happy to finally be driving. Normally Gohan persuaded me to fly instead since it was far less dangerous than being on the open road. 

We arrived at the Briefs house with my huge vegetable platter and stuffed our car back in its capsule. Trunks answered the door when we walked up and smiled genuinely, moving aside so we could enter the crowded room. Bulma was standing off to the side with a group of men around her while Vegeta watched from afar, scowling intensely. Her son took the platter to the buffet table leaving Gohan and I standing alone in the gigantic crowd. I awkwardly clung to his arm, letting him lead me toward a door near the back of the room. Loud music was coming from within; it had to be set aside for dancing.

There were several dancing mats occupied by groups of people. A writhing mass of bodies undulated in perfect unison below the careful eye of a DJ; the heat in the room was unbelievable. Gohan leaned down to tell me he was going somewhere less intense and he was gone from my side. The insecurity I felt was crippling. It was like high school all over again before I met Gohan. 

Someone grabbed my elbow and I turned quickly to see Chichi smiling at me. She yelled something about kids being too loud, then helped guide me out of the room to the great outdoors. We both shoved open a door and gasped for the clean air outside, leaving space for a few kids to head inside. Chichi exhaled loudly and led me to the pavilion, where a few other people had seated themselves.

“Wow, Bulma still hosts crazy parties,” Chichi said.

“She’ll never lose her touch. It’s too bad we’re getting too old to dance like the kids do. I miss being young and having no worries.”

“Bulma still doesn’t look a day over 30! I don’t know how she does it. Maybe some of the money from Capsule Corp goes into making her stay young and vibrant. Where’s Gohan?”

I shrugged and sampled some strawberries that were sitting in a small bowl. “No clue. We were together for a bit and he took off. He’s never liked loud noises or crowds; I bet it got to him.”

Chichi nodded in agreement and also helped herself to some fruit. We sat and discussed how over the top Bulma’s parties were for a while until she decided to go figure out where Gohan went. I sat by myself and bit into the sweet, juicy fruit, happy to be outside mingling with other people. Sure they were mostly off talking to each other instead of me, but still.

When I was full with fruit to the point of becoming sleepy, I started to stand up so Gohan and I could head home. But a hand gently pushed me back down by the shoulder and I turned to see Goku standing behind me. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since the last time we saw each other. He was as bulky as ever and his trademark smile was plastered on. I watched him sit across from me in shock—was this really appropriate yet? Gohan would be irritated if he knew.

Goku leaned back in his chair and swung his legs over the armrest. “Hey Videl, how have you been?”

“Um, pretty good. What about you?”

“Not bad. Chichi still throws me out a lot but Gohan doesn’t want me staying at your place anymore.” He paused mid-sentence to throw me a grin that looked vaguely malevolent. “He’s always been insecure. Maybe it’s my fault for not being around when he was a kid. I was off saving the world.”

“I can’t blame him. You were acting strange.”

“Do you want to leave the party?” he asked suddenly. “Vegeta and I were gonna go train. Come on, I know you’d rather be sparring than sitting at some stuffy party.” He reached across the table and grabbed my wrist, placing two fingertips against his forehead. 

“Goku, no!”

A split second passed and we were transported to an expansive field with waist-high grass, rustling gently in the breeze. The moon shone brightly overhead, giving the rolling hills an ethereal appearance that I couldn’t quite believe was natural. I turned to Goku, who was standing a few feet away staring intently at me. It wasn’t an expression he normally wore. Usually I only saw his goofy side.

“Bring me back right now!” I demanded. “Gohan is never going to forgive you for this!”

“We can leave this planet. I can transport us anywhere in the universe and we can be happy together. I can’t live with fighting Chichi anymore. You’re the only person who understands me and makes me feel comfortable on Earth. Gohan can adjust, and so can everyone else.”

“We have obligations as adults, Goku. Please stop talking so selfishly. You have two sons, a beautiful wife, and tons of friends who care about you. Are you going to give all of that up over a fleeting feeling? Try talking things out with Chichi instead of hiding from her. She can be a reasonable woman if you give her a chance. I used to think—”

Goku howled furiously and his aura exploded into golden flames, drawing his hair up straight from the sheer force of his energy. “Chichi won’t listen to me! She hates me; she resents me as much as Gohan does. Only Goten puts up with me and that’s just because he barely knows who I am. I know you’re unhappy too, Videl. I want to make someone happy for once.”

“We can be friends, then. Gohan won’t have a problem with that.”

“I have enough friends.” He powered down and offered me his hand. “Come with me, Videl.”

There was no way for me to leave. Goku’s instant transmission brought us to a foreign place I hadn’t seen before and I had no clue how I could get back. The strongest man in the universe was standing in front of me, requesting that I leave my family—our family—to travel space with him. It was a bit tempting, but I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing Pan again.

And what would Gohan do? I gave him a sense of routine and normalcy. If I upped and left without warning, he’d be shattered. Pan would probably forget about me in a few years, but it would leave a permanent scar on my husband. But why was I even considering leaving? Goku was nice and we got along pretty well, I wasn’t afraid to admit that. Abandoning the people we loved over a silly whim was something a child would come up with.

I shook my head firmly. “I’m not going. Please bring me back.”

A sonic boom interrupted Goku’s response and I had to shield myself from a strong buffet of wind. An arm wrapped around me from behind, hoisting me over my captor’s shoulder. It took me a few seconds to realize that Vegeta was now holding me and glaring down at Goku. The latter took a fighting stance and a grim smirk spread across his face.

“Stop this nonsense, Kakorot!” Vegeta bellowed. “The woman is not interested. Let her be and go home to your woman. I only supported this because I believed she felt the same way. Unlike you, she behaves like an adult and knows her place. Perhaps you should learn yours.”

“Put her down, Vegeta. We’re talking things out.”

“We aren’t talking anything out! I already said I want to go home! I’m married to your son!”

Goku impatiently folded his arms. “If he cared about you, he would have taken you as his mate. Even Vegeta mated with Bulma. I never took Chichi because I wanted to see if things would change. Come on Videl, give it a chance.”

This seemed to aggravate Vegeta even further. He growled menacingly at Goku and spun around to fly at hyper speed in the opposite direction. Goku appeared in front of us several seconds later, forcing Vegeta to come to a screeching halt. I flew off his shoulder and hurtled threw the air just to be captured by Goku instead. He held me bridal style and immaturely stuck his tongue out at Vegeta.

“This is not a joke, Kakorot!” Vegeta said. “You are forsaking your family.”

“Since when does family matter to you, huh?” He rubbed his nose and smirked arrogantly.

The way Goku spoke was completely out of character. It was like he and Vegeta switched personalities recently: now the Saiyan prince was all in favor of being a stay at home dad. Goku was being awfully pushy and selfish. During our first encounter in the lake he had been innocent and mistakenly dragged me into the water. Now he was outright demanding I come with him.

Vegeta snorted disdainfully. “I see. I’ll bring news back to your family.”

“Don’t leave me here!” I shrieked, struggling desperately. Goku caught me around the waist and held me against him. “Tell Gohan I’m sorry, okay? You know I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

“Obviously. Kakorot will come to his senses eventually.”

Goku beamed.

The Saiyan prince vanished in another flash of light, leaving Goku and I hovering alone in the air. I drooped in his grasp and he floated back down to the ground, gently placing me in the grass. My landing was less than graceful: I stumbled forward and tripped over my own feet.

“So where should we go?” Goku asked excitedly. “Maybe to the Supreme Kai’s planet? We could stay on Earth for a while, too. I can mask our ki. Whatever you want to do, Videl.”

“Take me home. If you do, I won’t tell Gohan. Please, Goku. Think of Pan.”

My father-in-laws bright smile was wiped off his face instantly. He rubbed the back of his head and dejectedly turned away. “I guess you’re right.”

A sigh of relief left my mouth before he grabbed me by the collar and once again used instant transmission to return us to Bulma’s house. Vegeta was leaning against the wall a few feet away, eyes closed and arms folded over his barreled chest. I looked up to Goku to thank him for bringing us back when he suddenly grabbed my face to kiss me passionately on the lips.

His lips felt desperate as he pushed me against the house and pressed our bodies together. He was trying to convince me to change my mind and it was honestly working. I hadn’t felt desired in so long. My body screamed for me to take advantage of the opportunity. It took every ounce of strength for me to pull away and shake my head. When I did, Goku dropped his arms and stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Me too. Maybe in another life.”

Goku reached down to stroke my hair. “Perhaps.”

The door opened and Gohan once again interrupted my moment with his father, but this time, he didn’t suspect anything. I tried my hardest to smile when he wrapped an arm around my hips. Rejecting Goku’s offer was the worst mistake I had ever made.


	8. Infidelity

This time around, I threw myself into my friendships and home life to forget what had transpired between Goku and I. We rarely saw each other unless it involved one of Bulma’s parties, but things were better that way. Chichi, Bulma and I went shopping a few times a week to escape the routine of caring for the house and greeting our husbands whenever they arrived home. Trunks was now the CEO of Capsule Corp, leaving Bulma more time than she knew what to do with.

Gohan and I had married when we were twenty and I became pregnant with Pan within a few months. We were both only in our mid-thirties but acted like an old married couple: only speaking when necessary, occasionally having sex, and otherwise ignoring each other. It used to bother me until I realized it was what made my husband truly happy. His happiness meant more to me than my own.

One afternoon, I was sitting with Chichi and Bulma out on my mother-in-law’s deck, admiring the view of Mount Paozu when Goku came flying over the horizon. It wasn’t uncomfortable for me to see him anymore and Gohan didn’t mind. Sometimes he came to our house after his arguments with Chichi instead of going to Bulma’s. We had all put the past behind us in favor of moving on to remain the close-knit family we’d been at the beginning. Hell, even Chichi was growing on me.

Goku landed gracefully in front of us, the image of a gentle giant. He stretched and took a seat across from me next to his wife, who he kissed briefly on the cheek. They hadn’t fought in a few weeks, which was a new record for them. I was happy to see them starting to get along, though it meant Goku had to forsake his training most days. He didn’t like being trapped at home.

“Where have you been?” Chichi asked.

“I’m really sorry, Chichi, I was just sparring with Vegeta.” Goku rested his palms on the back of his head and yawned. “He’s nearly as strong as me now. What have you guys been up to?”

“Videl was about to tell us what she and Gohan were doing for the fifteenth anniversary,” Bulma said with a wink. “Maybe using that island capsule I gave you? It’s collapsible, y’know. Your husband needs to learn how to unwind and enjoy being married.”

“Sometimes I think I was too harsh on him,” Chichi admitted.

All of us turned to look at Goku when he started laughing. His black eyes met mine and his glib smile expanded. “But he’s responsible, right? Isn’t that all that matters? I thought women liked when their husbands had jobs and weren’t home for most of the day.” He lowered his arms to rub his chin thoughtfully, trying to elicit a response from me.

“Pan and I are happy and healthy, so I think you raised him just fine, Chichi,” I said. “He might even be able to give Goku a few tips on finding a job and acting like a human husband should.”

“That would be wonderful!” Chichi exclaimed.

When the other two women had their backs facing me, I stuck my tongue out at Goku immaturely. How dare he try to back me into a corner like that? Something must have happened between him and Vegeta during their training session. Goku wasn’t typically subliminally or outright rude; it took special circumstances to encourage that side of him to come out.

The Saiyan quickly made up an excuse to leave and flew off into the sky before Chichi could start berating him. I stood up and thanked Chichi for inviting me to her home, then took my leave with Bulma walking right behind me. When we arrived at my car, she blocked me from getting into the driver’s seat. I looked at her curiously and was terrified by her maniacal grin.

“So, what’s going on with Goku?” she asked.

Oh Kami, no. 

I furrowed my brow, trying to look innocent. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Videl. Vegeta tells me everything because he knows I won’t say anything. He was right there when you two kissed a few months ago and he told me first when Goku tried to leave Earth with you. I won’t tell Chichi, Gohan, or Pan, I promise.”

My heart was pounding furiously as Bulma’s eyes drilled into mine expectantly. Vegeta was a good for nothing rat. Why would he think it was okay to tell people about what happened? I had vehemently rejected Goku’s advances and I really wanted to forget about it. Was the prophecy from the Supreme Kai right? Would I ever be able to ignore him like I wanted to?

“It was a mistake,” I said firmly. “Nothing more. I love Gohan.”

“Yeah, blah, blah. You two could break in that island capsule I gave you. It has a nice house inside, too, but make sure you open in in an open space. Come to think of it, I could make a new capsule for you and Goku so no one finds out. A small place to mask your ki.”

“Bulma, please.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped away from the car so I could get in. When I was, she leaned on the doorframe and handed me a capsule. “Here’s a car for Gohan. It’s an older model than this, but it’s been sitting around and I have no use for it. Goku will just crash it. Do me a favor and come by the next time I throw a party. Just let all of your inhibitions go and enjoy being alive.”

I mumbled a thank you and took off as soon as she had moved back from the car. Everything was so wrong. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Months passed endlessly and it still haunted me like a curse. Maybe the Supreme Kai did just that. She knew I had dark desires in my heart and played on them instead of revealing my real future. No one could predict what would happen. It was impossible, even for a heavenly being.

Pan was running out of the house in tears when I pulled up a few minutes later. I hurried out of the car and put it back in the capsule as I approached her with my arms outstretched. But my daughter—the baby I had raised for 14 years—shoved me out of the way and took off into the air without a second glance. She wasn’t the cute, chubby-cheeked child that frolicked with Goku in the lake. Thinking of her growing up and leaving the house was enough to put me in a bad mood, too.

My husband was pacing back and forth in the kitchen with his arms crossed. He noticed me and shook his head in disgust, fueling my depression. What did I do? I was out all day relaxing with Bulma and Chichi instead of staying cooped up inside. So shoot me.

“Pan had a boy in her room,” he said, running a hand through his thick hair, “and let’s just say they weren’t watching TV. This wouldn’t have happened if you were home to watch her. I’m out working to keep us afloat and you’re too busy having afternoon tea with my mother to pay attention to your daughter. What if she’s pregnant, Videl? What are we supposed to do?”

“Excuse me? Are you pinning all the blame on me? Pan and I had a discussion about sex a long time ago and I highly doubt she blew me off. If she does end up pregnant, so be it.”

“Is that all you have to say for yourself?!” he roared, easily flipping over the table. 

I jumped back to avoid having my toes crushed by the furniture and kicked it towards him when it collapsed with a thud on the linoleum. “Gohan, calm down! This is all a part of growing up. Are you sure they were even having sex, or did you assume it? We can tell Pan whatever we want but it won’t always stop her. There’s plenty of other options for them besides—”

“She’s a harlot, just like her mother!”

The rising tension in the room was dissipated by Gohan’s poisonous retort. I had been leaning towards him as my anger grew, but leaned back on my feet again after the hurtful words left his mouth. He glared at me instead of apologizing, trying to drive the nail deeper into my heart. Tears brimmed at the corner of my eyes and I fled from the house without looking back.

Taking flight proved to be more difficult when I was upset; humans had to focus their energy more and I was not capable of doing so. The wind easily carried me around and I alternated between soaring amongst the clouds to brushing my legs against the grass. But I didn’t cry. No, I was too humiliated and pained by what Gohan had said. I didn’t have it in me to cry as fiercely as I wished.

My aimless flight brought me to a familiar location. The tall, swaying grass was too inviting to ignore; I crash landed in its soft embrace, fully intending on never getting up again. I turned on my back and wiped the tears from my eyes to gaze at the twinkling stars, framed beautifully by the trees. It felt like the grass was swallowing me, protecting my bruised ego from the prying eyes of other people. The island capsule was suddenly very tempting. It would fit perfectly in the field.

Once I regained the will to move, I sat up to stare across the plains into the dark forest beyond. My tired eyes discerned a person standing in the distance, pacing for a few moments before sitting down. Their hair was still visible above the tendrils of grass. Could it be…?

I stood up and stupidly made my way toward the stranger in hopes that they would talk to me. Anything would do. My own husband accused me and my daughter of being nothing more than filth. Maybe I should have been home to prevent her from bringing a boy in the house. It was true that they wouldn’t have even passed the foyer if I knew Pan was with a guy. Gohan and I had been each other’s firsts, but that was a long time ago. Societal expectations were constantly changing.

The sound of a man weeping became louder the closer I walked to the man. His shoulders were shaking like he had been crying so hard it was physically exhausting him. The mother in me was desperate to make myself known and comfort him, but I wanted to scope him out a bit. I was depressed and lonely, not stupid. The whole universe was full of odd beings you wouldn’t want to befriend. For instance, the Saiyans had been a murderous race but otherwise looked human. Looks were deceiving.

Keeping this in mind, I stopped a few feet away and squinted in the darkness before continuing. His hair looked spiky and unkempt. It was all over the place. As I openly stared, he whirled around and leapt at me, sending both of us sprawling back in the grass. He easily pinned down my arms on either side of my body and used his own weight to keep my legs from moving.

“Goku, it’s me!” I said.

It was hard for me to see Goku with tears staining his cheeks. He watched me for a few moments while his aggression ebbed away and eventually let me up. I sat up and rubbed my throbbing head as he turned his back to sniffle quietly. Chichi really chewed him out this time.

I crept on all fours through the grass so I could sit next to him and unsurely patted his back. “Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Gohan just caught Pan with a boy in her room. You know, I don’t think it’s my fault. He should be home, too. God, I can’t believe I was drinking tea while my daughter was—”

Goku suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, nearly crushing my ribcage. He lessened his grip when I coughed a few times but didn’t let go. I hesitated, thinking of everything that could go wrong, and decided it was worth the risk. We were both hurting. There was nothing wrong with returning the gesture. So I gently wrapped my arms behind his muscular back and rested my head on his shoulder.

“I’ve never been good at romantic things,” Goku said. “I guess it’s another thing I can add to the list. But… I really care about you, Videl. More than anything.” His grasp constricted, pressing our bodies together. “And if you don’t care about me then that’s okay. It hurts, but I’m used to it by now.”

“Goku… please. Don’t make me choose.”

“No one has to know. It isn’t a choice between two of us.”

No, it would always be a choice. I would always struggle between choosing my husband and the man I found myself falling head over heels for. It was just the prospect of running around with Goku and hiding like teenagers that was making me feel so passionate about him. There was no other reason for me to desire him after so many years of not minding his behavior. Now I could barely resist the tempting offer he gave. The forbidden fruit was mine for the taking.

Trembling, I pulled away from Goku and held him at an arm’s length so he could see me clearly shaking my head. His eyebrows knit together angrily and he lunged forward to pin me on the ground again without much effort, blocking out the starry sky with his bulky body. I stared at him with tears in my eyes, begging him to let me go so I could run far away from my inner demons. But Goku was as confused as me. He leaned down to kiss me for the second time, shattering my weakened resolve.

Between the soft scent of grass and earth and Goku’s own musky smell, I wasn’t sure how to ground myself and stop the inevitable from happening. He released my wrists to run his fingers through my hair and I couldn’t help wrapping my arms behind his back to keep our bodies close together. The grass obscured us from view. Only someone reading ki would be able to tell we were lying down in the field, kissing passionately like hormonal teenagers.

Goku prodded my lips until I allowed him to deepen the kiss even further. Kami, he tasted good. One of his hands slipped under my back to elevate me slightly off the ground and the other cradled the back of my head to keep me steady in his grasp. My head was spinning wildly. Were we really doing this? How far was he going to push it? Even half-Saiyans had an acute sense of smell that would pick up the odors of sex a mile away. Gohan would be infuriated if I came home reeking of it.

“This is wrong,” I whispered, briefly breaking our kiss.

It didn’t perturb Goku. He moved on to nipping on my neck, uncomfortably close to my pulse. “Let me love you, Videl. I promise no one will know what happened here.”

There was no need for me to reply. Goku laid me carefully on the bed of grass to pull off his shirt, exposing the sculpted muscles that were a trademark of Saiyans. I ran my fingers down his stomach and he smirked, noticing my bewildered expression. My cheeks flushed and I hurriedly took off my blouse, followed quickly by my undershirt. He stopped me before I took my bra off.

“No rush,” he said, eyes roaming over my bare stomach. He sighed and brushed my hair back so my neck was completely open. “You’re… beautiful. I make it sound insincere but I really mean it.” 

The muscles in Goku’s arms tightened noticeably, once again reminding me he could crush my windpipe without batting an eye. I felt like a mouse pinned beneath a cat. A cat who knew the same pain I did; who lived through the same daily torture and wanted someone else in the world to understand. The physical attraction was a secondary part of our rendezvous. 

My mouth was dry, but I managed to say “thanks.” 

Our first night together was the best of my life. It was nothing like my honeymoon with Gohan: awkward and full of questions and worries. Goku knew what he was doing and more importantly, he knew what I wanted. His huge hands were surprisingly gentle and explored my body instead of mindlessly grabbing and fumbling. The way he touched me was emboldening; I felt as beautiful as he constantly reminded me I was. When he entered my body, I bit his shoulder to keep from groaning.

“Do you want me to?” he panted between thrusts.

“Wanna what?”

“Take you. It’s just a little pinch.”

Refusing Goku’s suggestions hadn’t worked out well for me so far, but I risked it one more time and shook my head. Through my hazy, lusting sight, I thought his teeth had sprouted into fangs. But the image was gone soon after and replaced by his focused gaze, watching me moaning beneath him like a hungry predator. I smiled and pulled him closer to our noses were touching as we both approached our peak. His arms wound around me; a protective cage.

It was… beautiful.


	9. Awakening

Something was tickling my nose.

Through the hazy confines of sleep, I swiped at the irritant and tried to keep myself in a dreaming state to avoid waking up completely. The sensation left for a few minutes but returned again soon enough, determined to disturb my comfortable rest. When I lifted an arm to rub my nose, I felt an arm wrapped around my waist pull me closer to the person I was lying beside. There was a low growl in their throat that sent a small vibration through my body, successfully pulling me into awareness.

“Good morning,” he murmured, placing a kiss on my neck.

My eyes snapped open. Goku and I were lying naked in a field in a spooning position. The sun was peeking over the horizon, telling me I still had enough time to hurry home and beg for Gohan’s forgiveness. I broke free of Goku’s grasp and sat up, covering my chest while I searched desperately from my clothes. Last night hadn’t been a dream after all. I had really cheated on my husband with his father. King Yemma was going to send me straight to the deepest bowels of Hell.

Goku sat up and stretched his toned arms toward the lightening sky, smiling happily and watching as I struggled into my clothes. “You might want to take a bath first. Gohan is gonna smell me all over you. And trust me; what we did last night has a very specific scent.” He rose to his feet stark naked and looked up at the clouds. 

“Put on some clothes!” I hissed. “Maybe if he sees us he’ll think we just left to train or something.”

“No, a Saiyan can smell us a mile away. I bet Vegeta is already on his way here.” Goku tapped his chin with his finger thoughtfully. “He could give me some tips on mating.”

“Where can I find a lake to wash off? Kami, I’m in for it this time. Cheating on my husband with his father; what is wrong with me? Just tell me where I can clean up. I’m not sure the guilt can ever wash away, but I can avoid an argument for now. This is never happening again. Do you hear me?”

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow and smirked, but put on his clothing and pulled me against his chest to perform instant transmission. Memories flooded back to me in a single, gut-wrenching wave. He had been all over me; stroking everywhere square inch of my body, groaning my name until it became part of the night chorus, and wrapping me up in his powerful arms. Protecting. Or was it more possessive than that? When he first penetrated me, I remembered him uttering one thing: “mine.”

We appeared at the side of a gorgeous lake that reminded me vaguely of the one our first encounter had occurred in. I was blushing a very unbecoming shade of crimson as I rushed into the water fully clothed to remove all evidence of my night with Goku. He had been so eager that he rubbed on my garments, which tainted them with his signature musky scent. While I stood in the water hastily scrubbing off the pheromones my weak sense of smell couldn’t discern, Goku jumped into the lake a few feet away and sent a huge wave crashing over me.

I resurfaced and irately watched him paddling around in the water without a care in the world. He looked the happiest I had seen in a long time. The smile on his face was genuine instead of masking inner pain, and there was an ease to his movements; he had nothing to fear. Knowing that I had made Goku feel like himself again was both rewarding and terrifying. As I rinsed my hair out, I realized he had done the same thing for me. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders in light of recent events. Who knew having an extramarital affair would benefit the two parties rather than plaguing them with guilt? Would it be wrong of me to continue seeing him?

Of course it would. My heart fell as Goku began chasing a fish around, never letting it leave his sight. We both had obligations to our families. No matter what had transpired here, amazing as it was, it could never happen again. I wished with all my heart that I had been imbued with the same carefree attitude my lover had. Even Vegeta had given in and settled down with Bulma to make her happy. Goku was a force of nature that could not be tamed; he was the protector of Earth. He would never be what Chichi or anyone else wanted. 

“Hey Videl, d’you want to get something to eat?” Goku was standing nearby, rubbing his stomach and looking around for the escaped fish. “I’m starving after our workout last night.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it didn’t happen. Don’t talk to me about it again and do not mention it to anyone. You caught me at a moment of weakness and now I have to go home to my family. Gohan is probably worried sick.” I flew into the air and did a couple spins to shake off the water. It would all dry by the time I got home.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll ever forget it,” Goku said, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ll see you around, okay?” He made a step forward but thought better of it. “Come here for a second. I want to say goodbye.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, but I gently floated back down to the lake until we were in front of each other. Goku’s black eyes shined as he pulled me into a hug, running his hands up and down my back. The water would immediately remove his scent from me so I let him have his way. 

Goku’s lips hovered near my pulse as they had last night and he kissed the spot softly. “You’ll never forget me, Videl. I’ll make sure of it.”

It sounded like more of a threat than a promise. I tried to pull away, but his arms were locked around me, securing our bodies together. Something sharp grazed my flesh and raised goose bumps all over my arms. Goku was about to bite me and I had no idea why. Had he turned into a bloodthirsty beast during our encounter last night? I went stiff and blurted out the first stupid thing that crossed my mind.

“We can meet again if you don’t bite me. I promise. Just let me go so I can see Gohan.”

The results were relieving and instantaneous. Goku released me and took a step back, grinning. “Sure thing! Keep your eyes open, I might drop by later tonight.” He kissed me passionately, cradling my head with his hands, then vanished in a flash of light.

I stood stock still for a few minutes as the gravity of the situation fell right back on my shoulders. Why did I agree to continue our affair? It would catch up to us eventually, and when it did, we wouldn’t be the only ones paying the price. Our families and loved ones would be horrified. Goku was my father-in-law, not a man I barely knew and had met in the city.

After I dunked myself again to make sure Goku’s scent couldn’t be traced on my clothes, I launched into the air and sped towards home. My human senses could faintly pick up Vegeta’s ki since it was so strong and imposing, which would lead me near where I needed to go. Hopefully he didn’t know where Goku and I had been last night or Bulma would have that knowledge soon enough. I trusted her for the most part, but sometimes I worried that she would accidentally spill the beans.

The flight took me some time: I hadn’t landed in front of the house until the sun was fully up. I shook some water from my clothing and checked to make sure the car capsule Bulma had given me was still in my pocket. Gohan might be in a better mood if I gave him a present. It took several seconds to compose myself enough to walk through the front door and face my husband, the loyal, loving provider who I had just shamelessly cheated on with his father. The thought of it sent an excited shiver down my spine.

I entered the house fully prepared to engage Gohan in an argument that would trump all the rest, chest puffed out to look intimidating and eyes focused. But there was no one on the first floor. All of the lights had been turned off and only a note on the table remained. Just to be certain, I called Gohan and Pan’s names before picking up the letter and reading my husband’s elegant script.

_Dear Videl,_

_Work has called me away for an out of town meeting. I will be back in a week. Take care of Pan and the house while I’m gone. We’ll talk about arrangements when I come home._

“Arrangements?” What was that supposed to mean? Surely Gohan wasn’t considering separating, what with Pan in a troubled state and our marriage in dire need of some TLC. I flipped it over to see it he put anything on the back, but blank whiteness was all I found. Terrified of being ejected from my home, I yanked out my cell phone and dialed my husband’s number without an attack plan in mind. Nothing mattered besides figuring out what the last line was supposed to mean.

“Hello?” Gohan answered.

“Hey, it’s Videl. What is this letter about?”

“What are you talking about? Listen, I just left a meeting with Trunks and I’m going out of town for a week or so. It’s a big project to get funding for new spacecrafts. Do you think you could help me put together a suitcase? I’m sorry for lashing out at you last night. It’s just… well, Pan is my little girl, and thinking of her doing those kinds of things—”

“So you didn’t write a letter saying you’re leaving town for a week?”

“No, how could I if they just told me?” he laughed. The sound died away in a few seconds as we both realized that someone was trying to drive the final stake into our relationship’s heart. “I’ll be home soon.” He hung up without another word.

The words on the note were taunting me. Goku obviously hadn’t written it because he barely knew how to spell. Like Chichi always said, he was all brawn and no brains. Since Gohan had just found out from Trunks and Capsule Corp had the power to make such things happen, that left three possibilities: Trunks, Bulma, or Vegeta. I didn’t think Vegeta had nice handwriting and Trunks had no reason to be involved in my conflict. So that left Bulma, who didn’t have a lot of interest in the affair. She could have been trying to give Goku and me a jumpstart. Still, this was too evil for Bulma.

Gohan walked in the house a few minutes later with a hard expression. He took the letter from me and scanned it several times to decipher the handwriting. “This doesn’t seem like something anyone we know would do. It must have been an outside force; someone who has precognition. I don’t think my business trip was planned out deliberately, but whoever wrote this knew it would happen. They were trying to make you worry I was going to leave for good.”

“Who would do such a thing?” I asked.

“Someone who wants to change the future. Look, I’d be much more comfortable if you’d stay at Bulma’s house until I come home. We already talked on the phone and she doesn’t mind. That will keep you away from anyone trying to tear us apart.” Gohan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Kami, why do things have to be so complicated?” 

I wordlessly hugged him around the waist and he hugged back, placing a kiss on the crown of my skull while we stood there silently. We both knew he wanted me to stay at his mother’s. But temptation lived there. It was better for me to be safe from both evils than risk being overtaken by them. 

We walked upstairs together and started packing our clothes in separate suitcases. It really did feel like Gohan was leaving for good. I stuffed my case full and added a few toiletries because Vegeta wouldn’t let me leave the Briefs household for the entire week if Gohan entrusted me to him. The Saiyan prince took matters of honor and trust very seriously. If my husband didn’t want me leaving the house, I’d be taken down the minute my foot came near the foyer.

When we were both packed, I remembered the car capsule. “Here, Bulma wanted you to have this.”

Gohan took the capsule and stared at it strangely for a few seconds before putting it in his pocket. We left the house, locking the door securely behind us, and took off into the sky. Pan basically lived with the Briefs, so she probably had tons of things to last her the week or Gohan’s absence. I took his arm as we flew through the sky toward Bulma’s, afraid it would be the last time I got to do so.


	10. Planting A Thought

“Trunks moved out a few weeks ago since I made him the big CEO of Capsule Corp, and his bedroom has been sitting empty. Vegeta can go back to the house and pick up some other things if you need them, but there’s furniture and a television. Hopefully everything works out with you and Gohan.”

Bulma was leading me through the house toward my room for the next week, trying to be nonchalant. I knew she wanted to know if anything had happened between Goku and I. It was written all over her face. When we arrived at the bedroom on the second floor, I thanked her and entered to start putting my clothes away in the dresser. She stood at the door for a few seconds before giving up on getting any new drama out of me. Relieved, I shut it and turned to the task at hand.

Across the room stood Vegeta, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. A shriek of surprise left my lips before I could think and he irately shushed me. I hurriedly covered my mouth and stared at him until he finally started to show signs of movement. Why was he always sneaking up on me?! It was like the man could turn totally invisible and dissipate into thin air. Yet his ki signal was so strong even I, a lowly human, could pick it up miles away. Saiyans were no good.

Vegeta watched me putting my things away for a few minutes. “So you and Kakorot had fun last night? Good, because it’s time for you to make a choice, woman.”

“For Pete’s sake, stop beating around the bush. Why do I have to make a decision? Goku said it’s okay with him if I stay married to Gohan.” I slapped a hand over my mouth and my eyes bulged. What was I saying?! Did those words really come out of my throat?

“Listen to yourself. You’re already under Kakorot’s spell and he’s only had you once. I’ve warned you before about his selfish desires and you chose to ignore me. He says one thing and means another. Shouldn’t you know that by now? If you don’t make a choice, Kakorot will make it for you.”

“It’s never happening again so you can back off and mind your own business.”

“Oh really? Because if my sense are as keen as I believe, Kakorot will be here in a few minutes.” Vegeta shrugged off the wall and pulled back the curtains. “Might as well move these so he doesn’t tear them to shreds in one of his poorly executed landings.”

Annoyed, I walked back to my suit case and unpacked a few more articles of clothing, folding them into neat squares before adding them to Trunks’s old dresser. Goku wouldn’t be showing up to Bulma’s house so soon after I had moved in. We had just split up earlier in the morning and he promised to come back later on so I could finish getting my things organized. Besides, I wasn’t ready for passionate lovemaking again. Wait, what was I thinking! Passionate?! I was in an affair, not—

“He’s here,” Vegeta said without opening his eyes.

A gust of wind that threw all my carefully folded clothes on the floor announced the appearance of Goku. He perched on the windowsill like a cat and cocked his head, acting as innocent as ever. His orange training uniform was on, suggesting he had visited to provoke Vegeta into fighting rather than smooth talking his way into my pants again. I flushed pink and didn’t meet his penetrating gaze.

Goku took a hop inside the room and looked around with a smile on his face. “Huh, I didn’t think Gohan would want you staying here. Why not come to Chichi’s?”

“Honestly Kakorot, does your stupidity know no bounds? You can wash your scent off her but your son can still tell you’re obsessed with her. Would you want Chichi sleeping in a house with a man who wants to steal her away from you?” Vegeta threw one of my shirts on the bed and scowled.

“Well I don’t care what Chichi does,” he said. “Videl and I are good friends now. Isn’t that right?”

The beaming grin on his face turned in my direction and I irately shook my head, swiping various things off the plush carpet. If he thought I would fall for his innocent act, he had another thing coming. I had seen what was underneath the childish exterior Goku wore; a possessive, yet well-meaning man who had been thrown into his role as Earth’s savior. His demeanor gave him an escape from the trials and tribulations his day-to-day life carried.

Both Saiyans sat on the bed side by side while I put my possessions away. Goku tapped his chin thoughtfully and Vegeta just sat there silently, eyes furrowed together in an aggravated line. We were all quiet for five minutes and the Saiyan prince grew steadily more impatient. His eyebrow started twitching when Goku began helping me fold my clothes.

“WILL YOU TWO TALK!” he barked.

“Why? Goku and I have already talked about this,” I said.

“Not that you silly woman; talk about mating! Stop pretending nothing is happening, Kakorot!” Vegeta grabbed Goku by the collar of his shirt and growled. “You’ve already started the process without asking the woman’s permission. Are you doing it gradually so she doesn’t notice? How unbecoming of a Saiyan warrior. If a man wants something, he should be direct.”

“What process?” I asked, whirling around to glare at Goku. “Was that why you wanted to bite me?”

Goku rubbed his nose. “Maybe.”

“Kakorot will sink his fangs into your neck which will eternally bind you. Your coupling has already started drawing you to him. It puts new thoughts in your mind and soon you will forget your husband. But don’t worry, Kakorot wouldn’t even hurt a fly.”

My hands darted up to cover my throat. It was a good thing I didn’t allow Goku to bite me the night before because I was already feeling the pull Vegeta mentioned. Before I had been able to forget about him and think of Gohan, but now… it was like he had planted a seed in my mind that was growing around my brain. Even the revelation that he was slowly forcing me into a bond only seemed vaguely rude and inconvenient. I couldn’t bring myself to feel angry. Wasn’t it what I wanted?

No, I was married to Gohan. I wanted my wonderful, intelligent husband to come home and kiss me chastely on the cheek. He ignored me all night when he came home from work, but it was part of being an adult. I didn’t resent him for doing the best he could for Pan and I. Gohan was a stable, loyal man who had been raised to treat people with respect. We argued like any other couple.

My lack of a heated response made Vegeta roll his eyes. “Pathetic.”

“Well I did give her the choice,” Goku said, affronted by Vegeta’s insinuations. “And she still has her free will. All I’m doing is helping my case along.”

“It’s brainwashing under a different label!” I snapped.

“You’re married to Gohan so I need some leverage, too.” Goku’s eyes fell upon my wedding band and narrowed dangerously. “There’s nothing wrong with a little father-son rivalry.”

“This isn’t a game. We’re all a family; connected. You can’t disturb that over a whim.”

“She’s right,” Vegeta said, content with the disagreement he had started. “Our Saiyan traditions will disturb the Earthlings. You’ve already agreed to a commitment with your fiendish wife. Are you willing to upset the human’s delicate balance over this woman?”

Goku pursed his lips and nodded, still glaring at the thin gold band around my ring finger. We had known each other for well over fourteen years and he never showed interest in me until now. Then again, his marriage to Chichi had been slowly disintegrating over that time and was reaching the breaking point. The protector of the world was finally doing something for himself instead of others.

I finished unpacking and stowed my suitcase under the bed, expecting Vegeta and Goku to leave. They were both leaning back and gently breathing as if they had fallen asleep. Bulma wouldn’t find it off that two grown men had chosen to take a nap in my bedroom. No, she’d be perfectly fine with her husband snoozing next to Goku while I was standing away to stare at them. Kami, why me?! The Saiyans had been no issue in my life until recently.

It was weird seeing the two bulky warriors fast asleep as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Making them wake up suddenly seemed rude and unnecessary. I could just leave and act like I didn’t notice. Didn’t they deserve some rest, anyway? Goku was probably tired from arguing with Chichi and Vegeta was always pushing himself in training so he was constantly exhausted. 

Goku’s eyes flew open and he leapt out of bed in a fighting stance, looking around wildly. This woke Vegeta up and he stretched before bitingly telling his friend that Chichi was still far off. I furrowed my brow when Goku placed two fingers to his forehead, using instant transmission to teleport. That was an abrupt escape. They’d been relaxing to the point of sleeping a few minutes ago. Was he really that afraid of his own wife’s wrath? Chichi was tiny.

“The fiend’s ki is spiking,” Vegeta said, rising from the bed. He crossed his arms immediately and I sourly wondered if magnets pulled his hands to his elbows. “The woman will be here soon to chastise him and become angrier when she realizes he’s gone.” 

“Wait,” I said when he walked to the window. “What’s happening to me?”

Vegeta sat on the windowsill and dangled his legs off the other side. I couldn’t see his expression, but I just knew he was smirking to himself. “I already told you, woman. Kakorot is obsessed. If you don’t make a choice soon, he’ll make it for you. And that involves much worse things than a divorce.”

Before I could say anything more, the Saiyan prince leapt from the window and flew off into the distance. Experience taught me I had no chance of catching up with him. I’d tried to keep up with Gohan in flight and ended up turning back because I slowed him down. Watching Vegeta vanish in a speck of light made me wish I knew how to focus my energy to that degree. I sat on the big bed and drew my knees up, terrified of the new Goku. What had I done?


	11. Missed Connection

The predictions of Vegeta had been absolutely correct. Chichi came storming into Bulma’s house literally red in the face with anger and screaming for Goku to come downstairs and face her like a man. While I watched her throwing a hissy fit like a small child, I wondered how she would react if she knew we had slept together the night before. She looked so angry that I couldn’t image her rage going even more out of control. It took Bulma an hour to make the hysterical woman stop pacing.

We spent the afternoon listening to Chichi tell a story about Goku doing “foul things” in the shower earlier that morning. She wouldn’t say exactly what but it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. The embarrassed expression she wore coupled with the intense anger was common for someone who knew their husband had replaced them with their own hand. I daintily lifted my tea cup to my lips and smirked into it. Gohan had done it a few times when I wasn’t in the mood. That was normal. Goku, on the other hand, probably did it routinely and Chichi had enough of listening to it.

Bulma’s eyes occasionally flickered to see what I was doing during the venting session. She was searching for a slight blush to prove I was thinking of Goku naked in the shower, confirming her suspicions our affair had turned physical. But I kept my cool and sipped the warm tea without reacting much to Chichi’s story unless it involved feigning sympathy. If seeing her husband masturbating made her go berserk, I was surprised the two of them had kids together. Nagging Chichi, always finding something wrong in her husband’s behavior despite everything he did for her and—

‘What are you doing?!’ I thought to myself. ‘Stop feeling bad for Goku! Think about your husband and everything he does on a daily basis to make your life better. Chichi and Goku’s problems are their own, not yours. This silly affair is a thing of the past.’

The seed of doubt planted in my thoughts was becoming virulent. It was hard to think of Gohan as my husband now; when I did, my mind drifted off to my night with Goku. We had been totally exposed under the blanket of stars and wrapped up by the soft grass, moaning each other’s names until the sun peeked over the horizon. I’d given my virginity to Gohan and he had done the same, so neither of us knew what sex was like outside of our relationship. Now that I had a taste, I wanted more.

My face twisted up in revulsion at the thoughts swirling around in my mind and I quickly took a sip of tea to hide it. Vegeta was right; Goku had nearly infected my thoughts with his presence. We only slept together once and that was all it took for him to plague me with the same obsessive desires he felt. Kami, I couldn’t even remember how my honeymoon with Gohan had been. We conceived Pan not long after and I vaguely recalled joy from becoming pregnant so easily. That was all I could draw from my memory reservoir. Everything else was fading away…

No, I loved Gohan with every fiber of my being. He and I met when we were teenagers and feel head over heels not soon after. We were meant to be together. Through the thick haze of lust, I could remember when we were married at the same age Goku and Chichi wed. Gohan couldn’t wait to put the ring on my finger and he was actually shivering with excitement, squeezing my hands so tightly I thought my bones would break. Nothing Goku did would ever replace that moment. The love and devotion Gohan and I shared superseded any stupid Saiyan mind games. 

The only viable solution was to tell Gohan what happened and beg him to take me as his mate. He had already told Goku he refused to do so because it was “animalistic” and he didn’t want to treat me as such, but if it meant purging the lusty images of his father from my mind, I was willing to do it. I stood up abruptly from the table, almost knocking my chair back on the floor. Chichi looked up at me in surprise but Bulma appeared far less concerned. She took her friend’s hand and said I forgot something at home.

I wanted to thank Bulma for excusing my rude behavior, but I was terrified that Goku was going to possess me completely if I didn’t see my husband. Gohan and I had a beautiful daughter together. No amount of fighting or infidelity would replace that. We were bonded together in a way that alien Saiyan warriors couldn’t understand. I’d be damned if Goku took that all away from me because Chichi kept hurting his feelings. Why should my marriage suffer because of him?

Bulma turned around in her chair, smiling. “If you hurry to the airport, I bet you’ll catch him.”

She didn’t need to tell me twice. I rushed out of the house and took off into the air, praying for Kami to give me strength to fly as fast as Vegeta and Goku. If Gohan didn’t take me as his mate, I had a sinking feeling he wouldn’t return home to the same woman. My free will was suffocating under the tremendous pressure Goku’s influence exerted. He hadn’t lied: I technically still had it. But my mind was succumbing to the selfish desires he was sharing with me.

When I saw the expansive runway of the airport coming up in front of me, I smiled happily and put even more energy into making it there before my husband’s plane took off. He was traveling with humans so he didn’t want to frighten them by flying around everywhere. They wouldn’t understand how anyone can do it, as long as they learn how to focus their ki properly. It only took a few sessions for him to teach me how to levitate and ultimately—

A huge object collided into my side and sent me careening toward the earth. I braced myself for the impact and was knocked too hard on the head when I did gouge a Videl-sized hole in the ground. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my head, hoping there wasn’t permanent damage. I couldn’t take hits like I did as a kid. What kind of bird could send a human flying through the air like that, anyway?

“Hey, Videl!” said a familiar voice.

Goku was standing a few feet in front of me with his hands on his hips. He was grinning hugely, but it turned into a frightening leer when I tried to stand up. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“You could’ve killed me! I’m a human, you can’t knock me down like that!”

“Come on, answer my question.” He leaned his palms on his knees so we were almost eye level and scowled. “Where do you think you’re going?”

This was not the Goku I knew. This man was possessive; more like a beast than a human being. He glared coldly at me while I prodded a blooming bruise on my thigh. Yet underneath the animal exterior, I could sense Goku’s childish side just begging to come out. He had turned into a horrifying version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one that could destroy the planet if Mr. Hyde stayed out for too long. I swallowed my fear and shakily swayed to my feet. Gohan needed to know.

“I’m just out flying,” I said. “You don’t need to—”

“Liar,” Goku growled, curling his lip in a snarl. For a minute, I wondered if he was possessed by the Baby parasite again. “Gohan is at the airport right now. You were going to see him.”

“So? I’m bidding my husband farewell. He’s gone for an entire week and I won’t be able to see his face again until he comes back. If you don’t mind, I’ll be going now. Chichi won’t be happy that you threw me out of orbit for no good reason.”

The Saiyan’s hand lashed forward to grab my throat and he lifted me into the air. Oh Kami, he was going to kill me. Affairs never ended well from what I had seen and this would be no different than the rest. Goku certainly looked murderous: his eyebrows were knitted together and energy crackled off of him, singing my clothes. If he powered up with me in his grasp it might break my neck. My body was becoming too frail to deal with their alien strength.

Desperate to see Gohan, I struggled in Goku’s grasp and clawed at his hand. He was about to snap. Was it my fault that our affair had come to this? At some point I found myself genuinely desiring Goku, but the thoughts of Gohan were always there to steer me in the right direction. I never asked to become his mate and certainly didn’t want him battling with his son over me. I had disappointed a lot of people, some of which had no clue that I had hurt them in secret. It was hard to breathe.

Goku released me so I collapsed on the ground coughing for air and clutching my neck. As soon as the violent side of him appeared, it was gone. He knelt down to help me and apologized up and down that he hadn’t meant to get so angry over something so silly. I just nodded and strained to breathe properly again. This had to end and the only way to do it was telling Gohan. Hopefully he wouldn’t attack me or his father in a blind rage, but Saiyans didn’t respond well to lies or heartbreak.

“I’m really sorry, Videl,” Goku said as he rubbed my back.

I waved him off and tried to take off into the sky again, thinking he was sane. But he grabbed my leg before I moved two feet skyward and slammed me back into the dirt like I weighed nothing. When I sat up sputtering and demanding he let me see Gohan, he walked over so he was standing over my aching body. Goku folded his arms and grinned malevolently. For all the good he had in his heart, an equal amount of evil had to exist. Yin and yang were two sides of the same coin.

The metallic taste of blood filled the inside of my mouth and became so horrible that I was forced to spit out some vile saliva. Goku and I didn’t break eye contact when I wiped the remainder of blood off my lips. I had seen the cocky look on his face before and it only meant one thing: he was in the mood for a fight, which I couldn’t give him. I sat on the earth, baring my teeth in frustration. Gohan must have taken off by now and he hadn’t been able to take me. The poison of his father was seeping through my veins.

“Come on, you should go back to Bulma’s,” Goku suggested, offering me his hand. “I can’t believe you got hit by a plane! What are the odds of that happening? Even I’m more careful than that.”

“You son of a bitch.” 

“What… what’s wrong, Videl? I’m just trying to help you out.” His smile expanded eerily. “We’re friends, remember? And friends always help each other no matter what. Especially when they’re feeling sad or confused. We helped each other last night, right?”

“That was a mistake! I love Gohan more than anything, almost as much as I love Pan. I’m not throwing my family away because of you! Stop this, Goku. You’re going to hurt everyone, not just your son.”

Goku knelt down on the ground again and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Wow, you’re really startled from that plane. Let me help you, friend.” 

There was a sharp pain in the junction between my neck and collar bone. The image of Goku sitting before me with a disarming smile on his face was the last thing I saw before fainting.


	12. The Parasite

All I could feel was blinding, excruciating pain gnawing on my nerves. It started on one side of my body and seemed to have a ripple effect that burdened the rest of me with its agony; my throat constricted instead of releasing a scream. All of the sharp stabs just drove me further into unconsciousness instead of pulling me into awareness, but I could hear a distant voice calling my name. It was the only thing that kept me rooted in my sanity so I didn’t float away.

There was silence after my semi-conscious ordeal. I knew I was in a comatose state and had no perception of time to tell me how long I was in it. It left me alone with my thoughts of Gohan and his father, wondering if they had believed the latter’s excuse for my appearance. I hadn’t been able to ask my husband to take me as his mate and Goku’s influence was increasing. The free will he was talking about wouldn’t matter anymore after a few more days of his meddling.

What would happen when I finally woke up and faced the world again? Would I completely forget Gohan and only concern myself with Goku? It was terrifying to think that the seemingly naïve man who had saved the planet countless times was capable of being so selfish. His behavior was worse than that, though. I wasn’t entirely sure how to describe it. Cruel, perhaps? Trying to destroy your son’s marriage was indescribably evil at its core. 

“Videl, can you hear me?”

Gohan. His voice was the first thing I had heard in a long time. There was no way I would let the opportunity to see him lip through my grasp. I mustered as much energy as I could and forced my way through the suffocating coma until I finally regained the ability to open my eyes. Slowly, my eyelids fluttered open and I looked around aimlessly until my recovered vision fell upon the person sitting beside me.

My husband’s hair was an absolute mess. He looked haggard and tired, as if he hadn’t slept in a few days. The moment I laid eyes upon him he grabbed my hand to stroke my fingers and make sure it wasn’t a trick of the light. I smiled vaguely at him and rubbed my eyes to see the damage done to my body. To my surprise, my legs were wrapped up in white tape. Had I broken them without noticing? All I remembered was Goku hurling me into the ground.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“Bulma’s. You’ve been out for a few days. Goku found you lying in a field unconscious after you were hit by the plane. Kami, this is all my fault.” Gohan leaned back and hid his face in his hands. “I should’ve said goodbye to you instead of leaving like that. I’m so sorry, Videl.”

“No, no, you don’t understand. I wasn’t hit by anything other than—”

“Relax. You’re safe now and you don’t need to explain anything to me. Are you hungry? Chichi brought over some soup for when you woke up.” He turned to the table beside my bed and offered me a plate of crackers, which I politely refused. If he wouldn’t listen to the real reason behind my injuries, I had to convince him to take me as his mate.

I swallowed and prepared for the strange request I’d be asking my husband. We had never really talked about it before, but I knew it existed. He’d told his father it was inhumane and unnecessary when the two discussed it a few months ago. Only Vegeta had taken Bulma as his mate, permanently marking her and keeping them bonded together for life. If it meant I would forget about Goku it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice on my part. 

When I raised my head to look at Gohan, I lost my resolve to ask. Unlike his father and Vegeta, my husband prided himself on acting the most human and fitting in society well. He looked like a normal guy who was worried about his wife, not the descendant of half-monkey space pirates. Was it selfish to ask him to mark me? It was to avoid something much worse, but was it the right thing to do?

“I’ve been thinking,” I said, “and maybe you should do the thing Vegeta did to Bulma.”

Gohan furrowed his brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You know, the whole mating thing. I know you don’t really like it but believe me, we need to do it. I’ve been trying to talk to you for a while about things.”

“I’m not doing that.” He looked offended that I had even asked him. “You’re my wife. We’re equals and I won’t treat you like property. Now please calm down and eat something.”

“Gohan, please listen to me.”

The door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall and startling us out of our conversation. A group of familiar faces walked in: Chichi, Bulma, Vegeta, and of course, Goku. Chichi hurried over to hug me and stroked my hair away from my face while the rest of the group sat down in chairs around the bed. I deliberately averted my eyes from Goku and focused on Gohan. Their entry hadn’t been coincidence. Goku knew what I was planning and intended to stop it.

Our discussion went on the backburner and I was stuck explaining things to the group of people sitting around me. The sooner they understood, the quicker I could convince Gohan to take me. I still hadn’t glanced in Goku’s direction but I could feel the immense pressure of his gaze watching my every move to make sure I didn’t spill the beans. Vegeta was glaring at my legs and twitching angrily.

“A plane didn’t hit me,” I said, summoning my courage. “I was on my way to ask Gohan something and Goku grabbed my leg and threw me down. When I tried to leave, he wouldn’t let me. Then he knocked me unconscious and I woke up here. And my legs weren’t broken, so I don’t know—”

“Videl!” Gohan said sharply. “You can’t accuse dad of something like that!”

“She’s delirious,” Bulma said.

Vegeta closed his eyes and scowled. “Yes, she must have quite the imagination. Right, Kakorot?”

I risked peeking over at my assailant to see him with his arms behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world. Goku blinked in surprise at his name being spoken and shrugged sheepishly. It irked me that everyone besides Vegeta and I fell for his innocent façade. Gohan knew his father had been actively pursuing me and put his foot down, but now it was like none of that had ever happened in his mind. The control he had over his friends was astounding.

“Well if I really did throw Videl how did her legs break?” Goku asked, lowering his eyes to mine. He smiled.

Before I could react to his insinuations that he had deliberately snapped the bones in my legs, Vegeta furiously swung around and threw his chair at Goku. The seat was destroyed in an instant and Goku’s childish expression was within the thick cloud of smoke that followed the small explosion. He scratched the side of his head like he had no idea what was happening. My hands clenched into fists and I nearly flew out of bed, but Gohan caught me and held me down.

Bulma grabbed her husband’s arm and demanded he stop before she threw him out of the house. The Saiyan prince looked beyond angry: veins in his head were visibly throbbing as he watched Goku being fawned over by Chichi. I screamed and fought my own husband’s grasp to cross the room and strangle my father-in-law. He was lying right to all of their faces and they were too blinded by his looks to notice the pieces of the puzzle weren’t fitting together. Even Vegeta knew the instant he saw my legs.

When I refused to stop writhing around in bed, Gohan called to his father who was more than happy to help subdue me. Chichi and Bulma worked on calming Vegeta down, who was now powering up into a Super Saiyan with his fists prepared for battle. My husband restrained my arms while Goku pressed down on my legs too hard, sending more horrible pain through my body. My shrieking escalated until I thought I might explode in fury. Through my wincing eyes, I could see Goku staring at me. He grinned and deliberately pushed down harder, shattering the bones even further.

All hell broke loose after that. Vegeta shoved the women aside and tackled Goku onto the floor, releasing me from his death grip. Gohan was fully panicking, unsure of what was going on. He hovered over me protectively and begged me to calm down, but I wasn’t having it. They were all stupid. How could they not understand what their own friend was doing? I had a hard time grasping it at first until our encounter a few days ago. A moment of weakness had led to this brutal conflict.

“Please take me,” I sobbed to Gohan. “He’s never going to stop!”

“You need to see Dende. Human medicine isn’t enough.” My husband was trembling now as he scooped me up out of bed. “Goku, will you bring us to Kami’s Lookout?”

Vegeta had Goku in a full nelson by this point and didn’t look like he was playing around. The prince scowled at Gohan’s intrusion but was overpowered by Goku during the moment he lost his concentration. Goku grabbed my hand and put his fingertips to his forehead, vanishing just before Vegeta tackled him down to the floor again.

We appeared on Kami’s Lookout several seconds later. Gohan cradled me close to his chest and began walking toward the shelter when Goku put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He turned to face his father and I shot him a hide-melting glare. What was he up to now? Vegeta would be at the Lookout in a few minutes to keep beating him senseless. My legs hurt so much that I didn’t want to risk opening my mouth in case a scream came out instead of words.

“Go back to Bulma’s,” Goku said. “I think she’ll calm down if we leave her alone for a while. Videl has had a very trying experience and she might not be ready to talk yet. I’m sure Dende can heal her and she’ll be ready to come back home in no time at all. Go finish your trip and don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her, Gohan.”

To my shock, Gohan handed me over to his father without questioning it. He bent down to kiss my forehead and smiled sadly. “Feel better. I’m so sorry. I’ll be back soon and we can talk about the mating thing, okay? For now, I just want you to relax and recover.”

There was nothing I could do besides nod and try to keep my lower lip from quivering. If I could hold on until my husband came back we’d be home free. Vegeta was on my side in all this so he could help me convince Goku that what he was doing was wrong and the nightmare would be over. From what I had gathered, you couldn’t be mated with against your will, which meant I needed to resist the urges Goku had planted in my mind. Being married to a Saiyan gave me copious amounts of emotional strength.

When Gohan vanished over the horizon in a speck of light, we began walking toward the place Dende now resided. Goku said nothing until we were inside a small room and he laid me gently on the bed. I grimaced in pain; my legs weren’t going to set right from all the moving around they made me do. He took a seat next to me just as Dende and Mr. Popo entered the room, both smiling. The times of peace had made everyone go soft. None of them knew where to look for danger.

Another familiar Namekian walked in behind the two and remained standing at the door while Dende knelt next to my legs and placed his hands over them. Piccolo was the strong, silent type, a trait that he had in common with Vegeta. His eyes roamed over the small group and fell upon Goku, who visibly stiffened when he felt the Namek’s penetrating gaze. When Dende finished healing me and left with Mr. Popo, Piccolo remained behind and continued to glare daggers into Goku’s back.

“Hey Piccolo, do you mind?” Goku asked politely. “I just need to talk to Videl—”

“A small portion of Baby is living inside you. It isn’t strong enough to overpower you, but you’ve been feeling the violent urges. My only question is why you haven’t purged it with Sacred Water?”

“Don’t you remember me throwing Baby into the sun?” Goku turned and locked eyes with Piccolo. “He’s gone. There’s no way any part of him could have survived. Videl just got into an unfortunate accident yesterday and luckily I could sense her ki decreasing rapidly.”

Piccolo scowled. “Harboring a parasite won’t change your personality for the better. Your childish nature is part of who you are, Goku. It gave you the resolve to spare both me and Vegeta, something a Saiyan wouldn’t normally do. All Baby does is expose your worst characteristics and amplify them. The Goku I know would never have attacked an innocent woman. Especially one he was related to.”

Of course! I had set to rubbing the sensation back into my legs after Dende healed them and listened in on Piccolo and Goku’s conversation. That was it. Goku was acting so oddly because he secretly carried a small portion of Baby within him. It was just enough to give him a more Saiyan-like personality, but why would he want to act like a barbarian? It would be easy to flush out the parasite.

“It just gives me the push I need to stand up to people,” Goku finally said. “It isn’t hard when I’m fighting evil, but I can never tell others what I want. I’m tired of Chichi always yelling. And Videl deserves better than being ignored by Gohan all the time.”

“It isn’t your place.” Piccolo turned to walk out the door. “You should know that by now, Goku. I think all your victories are starting to go to your head.”

The door closed behind him, leaving me sitting alone with the technically infected Goku. There must have been remnants of Baby somewhere on the planet that he ingested recently, because he had been fine being around me the day we trained at the lake. After he found out Gohan was so disturbed by his behavior he kicked it into overdrive, blatantly challenging his son. But he had backed down and gone into remission, which told me he’d found the parasite recently.

Even the savior of the Earth had dark desires in his heart. Goku would normally act like they didn’t exist, but something had convinced him to deliberately harbor Baby so he had the will to take what he wanted. I was relieved that my father-in-law wasn’t really a monster, just possessed by one. He had control over it, at least. We could find a way to slip him Sacred Water. When he realized what had happened, he’d free me from the thoughts in my head and go back to Chichi.

I cleared my throat to catch Goku’s attention. “Since we’re already here, why don’t you go get some Sacred Water from Dende? We can act like nothing—”

“Be quiet,” he snapped, forcefully covering my mouth to make sure I did so. “There’s no way I’m giving up the power Baby has granted me. Gohan will be gone for a week. You won’t be able to hold out until then.” Goku leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “You’re almost mine, Videl.”


	13. Stolen Love

Seconds that passed seemed to take hours. I was at Goku’s mercy now; even a flick of his wrist could snap my neck. Our eyes locked together in a wordless battle of the wills. We were both waiting for the other to break and make a move, but neither of us was going to shatter the fragile moment. His black irises burned through me and I struggled to find the innocent man I had come to care deeply about. Goku was still my father-in-law no matter what; we were family. I didn’t want him to harbor a parasite because he was so torn over his relationship with Chichi.

Their arguments had been one-sided for as long as I could remember. Most of the time, Goku would bow his head and apologize to keep the peace in their home. But he had started yelling back recently (no doubt because of Baby’s influence) so they were almost totally divided. Gohan liked to pretend his parents had a seamless, watertight marriage that could never end. He treated their fights as normal behavior. He and I had our fair share of disagreements, which we managed to overcome and learn from.

Goku narrowed his eyes and smiled. “So, what do you think, Videl? Are you going to keep asking Gohan to take you, or will you let me? If you keep resisting you’ll just make things worse. Listen to the prophecy from the Kai; I care about you.” He tapped my nose with his index finger. “You just need to let me show you like I did our first night together.”

“Gohan and I are married. We have Pan. Don’t you remember traveling around the universe looking for the Black Star Dragon Balls with her? Why would you want to hurt her like this? And you’re Gohan’s father. You know it would kill him if I was taken away. Even our… mistake a few weeks ago was completely disrespectful to both of them. Please drink the Sacred Water.”

“I thought you understood,” Goku said. “Talking to you these past few months has been something I looked forward to. I just wanted to make our connection permanent. I’ve never met someone who listened to me like that and didn’t yell. Chichi walked out on me when I was panicking over getting a shot. I’m sorry, but I can’t let this go. They’ll understand it one day.”

“We can still talk.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and took one of Goku’s calloused hands in my own. “We’re family and I want you to be happy. And I did enjoy our rendezvous, but it cannot happen again. Not saying it was bad or anything. It was wrong. Our spouses both deserve better.”

The Saiyan said nothing for a few minutes. Thinking it was safe to leave the room and head home, I stepped off the bed and onto my feet. Goku was off the chair so fast it clattered to the floor behind him and he grabbed my face between his hands before I could protest. His obsidian eyes were heartbreaking to see: full of anguish and signs of an inner conflict he couldn’t resolve. The energy around us became charged with electricity and Goku’s black hair began changing to gold.

“Neither of our spouses deserves us,” he said.

Our proximity made my head swim with excitement and fear—what was he going to do? Goku’s breath smelled so tantalizing and our lips were only a few inches apart. Would one more kiss be a bad thing? His black eyes flickered cerulean and he curled his fingers in my hair before gently kissing me. We stood there for a few minutes kissing passionately, running our hands on each other’s bodies. He pushed me against the side of the bed and my knees buckled so I fell back on my behind.

Goku’s transformation stopped, telling me he had regained control of his emotions. I sat on the bed and breathlessly waited for his next move, hoping he might let me go without a fuss. If he initiated anything more, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist. My thoughts strained to stay on Gohan; to remain faithful even though he would probably never know. Besides, Goku needed someone to love him.

While I stared at my father-in-law and dreaded the conclusion of our staring contest, he grinned broadly. His teeth were all glimmering white and… growing. My eyes widened in shock as Goku’s teeth elongated into terrifying sharp fangs that nearly hung out of his mouth. He pushed me onto my back and straddled my hips, beginning to transform again. A long, red tail erupted from behind him and a coat of red fur sprouted all over his upper body. What was going on now?!

“The parasite makes it hard for me to maintain my normal form,” Goku said as his black hair grew long over his shoulders. “This is more fitting for the side of me it brings out. Like Gohan said, mating is something wild animals do.” His eyes closed, exposing red eyelids. “I love being an animal.”

“Baby is just constantly forcing you to become a Super Saiyan Four?” I asked, trying to be brave. “Why don’t you just do that yourself instead of letting him feed off you?”

“I already told you, it helps decrease my inhibitions further. Normally I couldn’t bring myself to do any of this, but the parasite makes it so much easier. And when I let go and become the highest form of a Super Saiyan, my worries all float away. Turn your head so I have easier access to your neck.”

Internally I was struggling to think of a way to get the newly transformed Goku off me, but my head turned on its own accord. His tail twitched fitfully in the air when I closed my eyes and shivered in fear. It was too late. Part of me wanted to be with Goku and the rest wished Gohan hadn’t gone to college like his mother wanted. My husband could be here protecting me right now, but she had stupidly pushed him to fit in with everyone else. 

My heart ached for Gohan and my body lusted for Goku. The latter lowered his mouth to the frantic pulse in my neck and I felt his tongue lick the spot. What the hell was he doing, tenderizing me? I managed to wriggle my arms but he easily held them down and chuckled into my ear. This was not the Goku we all knew and loved. It was a version of him perverted by the darkness in his heart that Baby had easily extracted. He hid it well—even the Flying Nimbus had permitted him many rides.

Goku’s fangs grazed my skin. “You’ll never be alone again, Videl. I promise.”

“Will Gohan know?” I whispered.

“Yes.” He settled for sucking on my neck to prolong the already agonizingly long moment. “There is a permanent mark that releases my scent. Anything with a sharp sense of smell will know.”

“Including me.”

It was strange how Vegeta had become my protector over the recent months. At first I thought it was because he detested Goku and wanted to ruin his plans, but when he furiously attacked him over my broken legs, I knew it was genuine concern. He had grown fond of everyone in our group and had the same urge to defend them that Goku did. Vegeta’s eyes narrowed dangerously when Goku turned and smirked widely at his unwelcome intrusion.

“Hey, we’re kinda busy—”

“Cut the act, Kakorot. Piccolo told me what you’ve done. After all the agony we went through to vanquish Baby, you let him live on inside you for your own selfish desires. How pitiful.”

“Well I guess that makes us even after you allowed Babidi to possess you for the sole purpose of killing me.” Goku rose from the bed and I felt as though I had a megaton weight lifted off my chest. “But I can’t have you two telling everyone what I’ve done. Hm… either you can leave now, or I can permanently destroy you.” He shrugged and rubbed his nose. “Your choice.”

“The woman is clearly uninterested in your advances,” Vegeta replied, completely ignoring Goku’s threat. “Perhaps we should tell your son and see what he thinks of all this.”

They were all constantly competing. I sighed and folded my arms when the two men erupted into a shouting match over why or why not Gohan should know about Goku’s behavior. It wouldn’t surprise me if Vegeta was only here because he liked to argue with Goku over anything possible. They were born to battle and settled for petty conflicts and protecting various humans to satisfy their instinct. Vegeta was extremely possessive of Bulma, while Gohan showed a less intense version of the defender persona. 

Goku growled when I attempted to stand up. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home? It looks like you two are having a ton of fun.”

“Lie down,” Goku said, pushing me back down on the bed. “Vegeta was just leaving. He knows this is none of his business and he owes me for a few secrets I’ve kept. Right?”

“This is treachery, not a silly secret,” Vegeta said.

“Well I’ll just go tell Bulma about the time you went out with one of those girls Goten brings home,” Goku said slyly, winking one of his golden eyes. “Remember when you came home really late at night and I helped you out? This is just like this, except higher stakes.”

The Saiyan prince scowled deeply and switched his gaze to me. He clenched his jaw tightly, grinding his teeth so loudly my poor human hearing could detect it across the room. Another moment passed and he turned and stalked out of the room, fuming mad and muttering to himself. Goku shut the door behind him and returned his attention to me. I knew I was white as a ghost. I certainly felt as dead as one.

“Now where were we?” he said, putting his hands on his hips.

“I was just leaving.”

“No, I think you were lying underneath me on the bed and I was just about to sink my teeth into your neck. Of course, Vegeta rudely interrupted so there’s no way to know for certain.” Goku rubbed the back of his head and wrapped his tail around his waist.

There was no one to protect me from myself now and Goku knew it. The influence he had over my mind made it nearly impossible for me to say no. It latched onto the smallest desire I had to be with Goku and amplified it until the urge was more overpowering than my love for Gohan. He didn’t waste any more time beating around the bush and pinned me down on the bed, twisting my head to the side. My chest heaved in fear of what was about to happen. Gohan… he’d never forgive me.

Teeth took a firm grip on my skin. 

The incision was swift and bloody, slicing through layers of flesh until Goku had a mouthful of me between his lips. A bloodcurdling scream tore out of my throat but he stifled it with a hand and easily restrained me with the rest of his body. His tail unwound from his waist and flicked back and forth excitedly as my blood poured into his mouth. He groaned and bit down harder, nearly taking off a chunk of my skin. How had Bulma been able to deal with such horrible pain?

A few seconds passed before Goku withdrew and began lapping up the blood like a thirsty dog. I was sobbing and trying to fight the power he now had over me. The vague influence he had intensified, almost shoving out my love for Gohan and implanting Goku in his place. Within a few minutes I stopped crying and laid perfectly still as he finished licking up my bodily fluids. I lost the resolve to fight. After all, he loved me and wanted what was best. No one else knew me the way Goku did.

But when Goku encouraged me to perform the same thing on his neck, I blatantly refused and tried to push him off. Maybe we weren’t considered full mates if only one of us had been bitten. If that was the case, I would be willing to fight for the rest of my life to keep Gohan as the centerpiece of my love life. My body trembled violently as I covered my mouth to keep from returning the mating gesture. Only one of would be obsessed and that would not be me. I would not forsake my husband.

“Bite me,” Goku said impatiently. His voice was thick with lust. 

“No. I love Gohan and there’s nothing you can do about it. Bite me all you want!”

The words had scarcely left my mouth when Goku sank his teeth into the other side of my neck. It was hard to keep my body from reacting to the now pleasurable stimulation. I wrapped my legs around his waist and stifled a moan, struggling to think of Gohan. Hands moved around between our neatly compressed bodies and Goku took my moment of weakness as an invitation. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to take me. I just… didn’t want it. 

Our coupling this time was less like lovemaking and more of a primal fight for control. I desperately wanted him to set me free and leave, yet I couldn’t imagine him leaving me. Goku’s teeth pulled out of my flesh and he greedily consumed the remnants of blood while he pushed himself inside me. Instead of screaming, I tightened my grasp on his body and moaned. How could something so wrong feel so right? He raised his head from my neck to stare into my eyes.

“Videl,” he groaned, “bite me.”

It was getting harder to keep my mouth closed. I forcefully bit down on my lips and turned my head away, leaving my neck exposed once again. Gohan might be less angry if he knew I wasn’t the one initiating the mating process. If only I had Goku’s scent and explained what happened, he would forgive me and everything could be normal again. The man inside me pulled on my hair and shoved my face near his neck. My fingers twitched behind his back.

Everything in me demanded I sink my teeth into the soft skin on his throat. When I successfully fought the urge again and focused on just how damn good it felt to be having sex, Goku snarled and pinned me down by the throat with both hands. Sweat beaded his brow and I could feel him throbbing inside my body. The sooner he finished, the sooner I could run home and try to hide the smell. There had to be a way to disguise the mark. I never noticed Bulma’s and saw her all the time.

“You’re a feisty one,” Goku said, smiling widely. “But in a good way. I know you won’t yell at me.” He gave a particularly forceful thrust and lavished in my reaction. “You don’t complain when I eat a lot, you don’t mind if I train, and you’re so good in bed.” The last compliment was spur of the moment.

It didn’t take long for both of us to finish and lay in a sweaty, gasping tangle of limbs afterward. The guilt didn’t hit me as hard as it had the first time, but Goku relished in the afterglow of our sex and pulled me flush against his solid body. His arms were no longer red. He’d powered down, thankfully. My eyes roamed lazily over the room and I fell into a fitful sleep, content that I had refused to complete the mating process. Maybe Gohan could forgive me one day.


	14. Gaining Freedom

Dull throbbing on both sides of my neck woke me several hours later. My limbs felt leaden and I could barely open my eyes to look around the small room I was sleeping in. Goku stirred beside me and nuzzled his face closer to the painful place on my throat; both of his hands were wrapped tightly around my waist to keep me pressed against his body. We were still at Kami’s Lookout in the recovery room where Dende had healed my legs not long ago. I craned my neck to look out the window and groaned. It was nightfall, which meant we had been sleeping all day.

But my sleeping patterns were the least of my worries. I carefully reach up to touch one of the sore spots near my windpipe and hissed at the sharp stinging sensation that jolted through me. Of course it was going to hurt. He sank his teeth into my skin, twice. Still, I was expecting there to be a magical connection between us now that was amplified when the mark was touched. The mating process might have gone awry when I refused to bite him back. It was hard to contain my excitement as I freed myself from Goku’s arms and quietly tiptoed from the bedroom to clean up.

I’d scarcely walked more than ten feet when Piccolo and Vegeta stepped from the shadows to block my path. Thankfully I’d pulled some clothes on before I left. They stood like statues in front of me, demanding an explanation with their eyes. I crossed my arms in retaliation and cocked an eyebrow. Was I being totally blamed for this? Sure I’d agreed to it eventually, but technically, I hadn’t ever had my heart in the right place. I definitely hadn’t asked Goku to take me and he did anyway.

“Come with us,” Piccolo said, turning away with a swish of his robe.

Vegeta beckoned with his index finger and followed after the Namek without saying anything more. My curiosity got the better of me and I quickly rushed after them, deciding to visit the bathroom later. The two were completely silent as we walked through the halls of the Lookout towards our destination. Had Gohan come back early? Did he know what happened? He could be waiting for me someplace, festering with hatred and planning to kill me. I gulped and clutched at my neck, wincing when it stung.

We came to another door where Dende was standing with Mr. Popo. They ushered us inside and closed it behind us so we were all cut off from the rest of the planet. It was a pretty bland room with a few chairs, plus a cot towards the back. I took a seat in a ring with the rest of them and clasped my hands, waiting patiently for an explanation. My husband wasn’t here, which was a welcome relief. No one said anything for some time and I was about to complain when Dende awkwardly cleared his throat.

“All of us know what happened,” Dende said. “Goku not only marked you once, but twice. Normally I could heal one mark and you would be free forever, but if there are two, the most I can do is dull down their influence. Piccolo approached me a while ago and we began studying how to perform this kind of healing in preparation for what was going to happen. As guardian of the Earth, I can’t have the head of my peacekeeping force being distracted by these kinds of things.”

“The mark will not release a scent and it will become invisible.” Piccolo still had his eyes closed, but there was a deep scowl etched in his features. “This will protect you from any fallout with Gohan. If this had been done consensually, I would never deceive him like this. He doesn’t deserve it. But considering the circumstances, I don’t think it’s fair to put you in a situation you didn’t want in the first place.”

Piccolo and Gohan had been close ever since the latter was a child. He’d taught Gohan many things during their years together and acted like more of a father to him than Goku did. This was especially evident after the Saiyan died during the Cell Games, leaving a pregnant Chichi and fatherless Gohan to fend for themselves. My husband had related countless stories to me of the things Piccolo did for him, so I had nothing but respect for the Namek. It was unfortunate he didn’t feel the same way.

Vegeta was staring at the two marks on my neck. He shook his head. “The parasite is defiling Kakarot’s personality. We need to find a way to slip him the Sacred Water before he does more than steal his son’s woman. Baby’s bloodlust does not stop there.”

“Videl will have to give it to him,” Piccolo said, motioning for Dende to approach me. “He doesn’t trust anyone else. If he thinks she’s completely committed to him, he won’t suspect she’s trying to pull a trick. This will ease your mind and Gohan won’t suspect a thing.”

The guardian of Earth knelt down beside me and placed his hands just above the mark on the left side of my neck then began muttering an incantation. His digits glowed green and I grimaced as the mark was healed, slowly knitting together and vanishing underneath my flesh. By the time Dende moved on to the second one, I felt immensely better and could think a little clearer. He finished up on the other side and I tenderly massaged the area, pleased to feel no pain at all. My mind was back to normal, save for the vague pressure of being Goku’s mate. 

“Thank you,” I said to Dende as he took his seat again.

“It’s no problem. Just doing my job.” He smiled.

“Since I’m sure Kakarot didn’t explain mating to you, I suppose that leaves me the honor,” Vegeta said. “It’s simple, really. You will have eternal youth and not die until he does. Look in a mirror when you get the chance, woman. I’m sure you’ll notice a difference.”

We started discussing ways to get the Baby parasite out of Goku and settled upon me attempting to offer it to him in a water bottle after he was done training one day. It wouldn’t seem suspicious and he wouldn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. The bond could never be completely broken between us, but if Goku regretted it and we stayed apart for a very long time, it would disintegrate. It was the light at the end of the tunnel I had to keep looking forward to.

There was a polite knock on the door and everyone turned to see the center of our worries peek his head in with a big smile gracing his innocent features. Goku seemed like a completely different man than the one who had ferociously sank his teeth into my flesh not once but twice the previous night. A strange tingling feeling settled upon my fingers when his black eyes locked onto my neck. I hurried to cover it in hopes he wouldn’t notice, but it was too late. His expression darkened.

“So what happened to Videl’s mark?” he asked with faux curiosity. “Funny, I could’ve sworn there were two. Huh. Maybe we should try again!”

“All we’ve done is hide it,” Dende said timidly.

“That kind of defeats the purpose.” Goku scratched his head and kept his eyes locked onto my throat, never wavering from the spot. “It’s supposed to let Gohan know what’s going on so he doesn’t have to suffer anymore. Videl and I decided on this a really long time ago.”

Piccolo stiffened and opened one eye. “Be quiet. You’re just embarrassing yourself.”

“I agree with the Namek,” Vegeta said, rising to his feet. “Not only have you disgraced your family, but also the Saiyan race as whole. You’ve defiled the purpose of mating. Weren’t you always telling me passionate speeches about how you don’t want to be a barbarian? Carrying a parasite around in your body makes you just that.”

“But you did the same thing when Babidi attacked and you had negative intentions. I’m trying to help Videl out since she’s lonely and Gohan doesn’t want to listen. Even when she tried to tell him about everything the other day he ignored her.” Goku shrugged and adjusted his sash. Behind him flicked his brown tail, wordlessly communicating his emotions. 

“That was—”

“Uh uh, remember what I know, Vegeta. You should probably be quiet and stay out of this conversation, don’t you think?”

The two Saiyans glared across the room at each other until Vegeta gave in and turned his burning eyes to the floor. An uncomfortable silence passed between all of us and I felt a growing urge to leave with Goku instead of being subject to the torment of his eyes. I quickly stood, offering a lame excuse for my exit and dragged Goku out the door. He waved goodbye to everyone and shut the door behind us. 

We had scarcely walked more than ten feet when he gripped my elbow and placed both fingers to his forehead. I smacked his hand down and held it at his side. Goku could easily break my grasp and use instant transmission anyway, but he just grinned and waited for me to speak. Dende healing the marks had definitely helped me control myself. Now I just felt the same vague attraction to him I had before. There was something just below the surface that seemed to tie us together, though.

I took a steadying breath. “You need to drink the Sacred Water. Everything went a bit too far last night and I hope you know that. What if you lose control over Baby?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. But I’ve gotta say, I’m disappointed in you. I finally made you all mine and you went and complained to everyone about it. Dende dulled down the mating mark’s influence so now it’s like we’re barely connected. I liked seeing the marks on your neck. I even did it twice!”

“And it was completely wrong for you to do it! My body agreed but it wasn’t right!”

“But you moaned my name a lot and kept begging me to keep going.” Goku’s aura began to glow at the memory and his tail started to turn red. “We should do it again. Right now. I know a good place to go.”

Goku was extremely stubborn when he wanted to be. I blushed furiously when he pushed me against the wall and struggled to think of Gohan. Kami, if only he was here right now. He’d crush his father without a second thought and I could stop being so worried all the time. At this rate I’d have an ulcer before I turned 40. Goku pressed his lips to the side of my throat and sighed. It was harder to fend him off than his own son when we had first started dating.

“I’m going to look around the Lookout,” I said, pushing him back. “And I’m staying here until Gohan comes back from his trip. I’ll get an escort from Vegeta to get my things back at Bulma’s. It’s safer for me here than down on Earth.”

“No, no, don’t be afraid to go to Bulma’s. Honest, I won’t bother you. Do you want me to come along? I can show you some of the neat things here. And maybe later we can go training or swimming. You shouldn’t be scared or hate me. I’d really like it if you’d give me a chance.”

“I AM MARRIED TO YOUR SON,” I howled. “We aren’t teenagers, Goku!”

The Saiyan rubbed the back of his head and looked at his feet. “If you say so. I think I’ll train for a while and come back later on to see if you changed your mind.” He kissed me gently on the forehead and winked before disappearing with instant transmission.


	15. Painful Truths

Tears spilled out of my eyes when I was left alone again in the growing darkness. Had I driven Goku to allow Baby in his body for the sole purpose of taking me away from Gohan? That put me at fault for his recent behavior, including the adultery. I never completely refused his advances. Eventually, I always gave in and did what he wanted because I had grown to genuinely like the man. It was painful to think of all the hurt I was causing my family with or without their knowledge. 

There was a negligible chance that things could go back to normal now after everything that had happened in the past few weeks. My life was permanently joined to Goku’s and even if my husband didn’t know and never found out, I’d always have it hanging over my head. Gohan was far from stupid and good at paying attention to little things. The mark had disappeared from my skin but I knew I’d slip up somewhere down the line. I’d say his father’s name during sex or thrust myself too eagerly back into our relationship. It might not be his perception that figured everything out, just my lack of tact.

Nothing terrified me more than thinking of being apart from Gohan. He was the center of my world and I liked to think I was the same thing in his life. We met and fell in love so quickly, I was certain it was meant to be. Even Chichi strongly encouraged us to marry. She had met Goku when they were children and he proposed to her when they were teenagers. I remembered the fear I always felt when Gohan flew off to help his father fight some new monster: Majin Buu, Super Android 17, Baby, and worst of all, Omega Shenron. He’d been hopelessly outclassed but he went anyway.

The best moment was when we found out I was pregnant with Pan. I’d been expecting him to panic and worry about me having a child when the world was still unstable. But he was ecstatic—our phone bill skyrocketed for a month because he kept calling everyone he knew to tell them the good news. When we went to bed at night, he’d always say goodnight to our daughter while she grew steadily inside me. There was no masculine hindrance when she was born, either. Gohan cried as soon as the doctor placed her in his arms and only let me touch her for several days. He couldn’t get enough of her.

Our baby was growing up and Gohan didn’t like it. I couldn’t say I was a fan of knowing Pan was hanging out with boys, but we’d done the same thing when we were young. The youngest of Goku’s children, Goten, absolutely loved going out of dates with girls. It bothered Chichi for a while until she got used to the new societal expectations in regards to dating. No longer was it considered strange for a person to date many times throughout their lives. My husband still carried the old values of his mother and it drove him crazy to know the tiny baby he’d held in his arms fourteen years ago was nearly grown.

It felt as though I had barely slept. Exhausted, I shuffled off toward the small room where Dende had healed me and my life had coincidentally hit rock bottom. I didn’t have the energy to fly back to Bulma’s and I dreaded seeing Goku again. If he came up the Lookout, someone would keep him away from me. When he gave up and went home to Chichi I could finally go back to the Briefs household. Gohan would be furious if he knew I had gone back to our house when it was possibly unsafe.

That raised an important question burning in the back of my mind. I lay down on my comfortable bed, relishing in the clean sheets, and faced the ceiling. Who had left the note on my kitchen table? It could have been anyone connected with Capsule Corp, but I’d already ruled nearly all of them out. Goku couldn’t have known his son was leaving on a trip and he had terrible handwriting. My thoughts raced until I came upon the only possible conclusion: the Supreme Kai I had met the other day at the mall decided she was going to intervene in my future. They normally stayed on their planet and minded their own business, but something drove her to extremes.

Something big involving Goku was going to happen in my future and I had a feeling it was going to go down this week. Was I pregnant? No, I had an implant to prevent another child from being brought into the world. What was she seeing that was important enough she needed to tamper with my life? I turned on my side, curled up in a ball to hide my tear-streaked face. Everything was so complicated. All I wanted was to see my husband and tell him how much he meant to me.

The door creaked open and I lifted my head to see the last person I expected. Vegeta shut it behind him and folded his arms, scowling at my facial expression. I wiped away the tears as he crossed the room and took a seat on the end of my bed. He grimaced like something was causing him acute pain and awkwardly patted me on the back a bit too hard. It hurt, but I still appreciated the gesture.

“You should return to the house,” Vegeta said. “Come, I’ll escort you. Kakarot is far off now.”

“What if he comes back later?”

“It would be in his best interest to stay off my territory.”

Disagreement wasn’t in the cards for me. We both stood and I followed him back out of the small room to the edge of Kami’s Lookout, where Dende and Mr. Popo were watching over Earth. The two turned when they heard us approaching and Dende checked my neck to make sure his healing had caused the marks to totally vanish into my skin. I thanked him profusely once more until Vegeta grew impatient and dragged me off the edge so I was forced to fly behind him. Pushy just like his wife.

We arrived at the Briefs house fifteen or so minutes later. The stars sparkled overhead like they were watching us and reporting what we did back to Goku. My paranoia was worsening by the day. I uncomfortably thanked Vegeta for bringing me back and rushed up to my bedroom to take a shower. When I was finally in the cascading warm water, I finally felt at peace. It’d been a long day. Most of it was spent resting with Goku, but my mind was still completely exhausted. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the heat, thinking of what my husband was doing. 

I retired to my comfortable bed, still dripping wet but too tired to care. The relief upon lying down was immediate. It almost felt like home with Gohan, except I couldn’t hear him wandering around downstairs like I always did in the mornings. He was next to me more often when I woke up in the morning, which was a nice change. Sometimes I thought he could read minds. I sighed into the sheets and snuggled them up under my chin in preparation for sleep. 

The bed started shifting under the weight of a new body. My back stiffened and I twisted around to see exactly who I’d been expecting staring at me through the darkness with his red-rimmed eyes. Goku pulled me closer and placed his index finger to my lips when I began to protest. Goddammit. He was always there when I least expected it, waiting to pounce. Where the hell was Vegeta when you needed him? Probably off taking care of Bulma like he never had before because he realized she could be taken away from him in a heartbeat.

Goku stroked my face tenderly and smiled. “Hello, Videl. Why are you crying?”

“I’m not. It’s allergies.”

“Oh. Well Chichi kicked me out so I figured I’d come over here and see what you were up to. Aren’t you wide awake from sleeping all day? I was out training for most of the night. You smell like Vegeta.” He took a fistful of my hair and inhaled deeply, wincing. “I hope you weren’t talking to him. He’s a very bad man, much worse than me. I’m going to come right out and tell Chichi about us.”

“First of all, you’re ranking highest on my bad guys list right now. What did he do that was so bad it needs to be kept a secret?”

“Nothing really. The same thing Gohan and I do. I didn’t start until you were hinting you wanted me to, but now I’m really happy I did. Chichi told me it bad and only evil men did it.”

“What is ‘it’?” I asked.

“Cheating. Infidelity.” Goku hugged me closer so our bodies contorted in a highly arousing way. “This, exactly what you and I have together. I thought you would know by now. Vegeta’s a pro at hiding things from Bulma, but how could you not know about Gohan? He only did it once a long time ago. That’s why he doesn’t come over here very often. It makes him uncomfortable being around her.”

My heart stopped. Gohan and… Bulma? No.

“You’re lying,” I said. “Gohan would never cheat on me with Bulma. She’s way too—”

“Not Bulma, silly. Aren’t you forgetting about Bulla?”

Oh Kami, no. 

If what Goku was saying was true and not just a way to wrench me away from Gohan, it meant he’d cheated on me with a sixteen year old girl. Not only was it wrong and vile to think of my husband doing such a thing, but if Vegeta knew, he’d snap him in two. They had done it once and I hadn’t even noticed. I was so displaced from my relationship that I didn’t know Gohan slept with my friend’s daughter. The revulsion must have shown on my face because Goku powered down nervously.

“When?” I asked.

“Um… I think a month before we had our thing in the lake. He was really embarrassed. Actually, he told you he was going on one of those business trips. Kind of like the one he took yesterday.”

It was like I’d been punched in the stomach. But there was no time to think about how bad I felt. Goku was staring at me with concern and I was about to burst into tears. I grabbed the back of his head and crushed our lips together, trying to eradicate the image of Bulla and Gohan from my head. He eagerly kissed me back and flipped us over so he was lying on top of me, brow furrowed in confusion. I just wanted to forget and my new lover would help me do that.


	16. Confrontation

The teenage Videl Satan would be humiliated by her older persona’s pathetic, prolonged bouts of pitiful sobbing. She’d scream at me to grow a spine and show Gohan exactly what happened to cheaters, but now I was a married woman nearing her mid-30s. Adult matters had to be settled peacefully without physical combat melodrama like we all did many years ago. That didn’t mean I’d be able to restrain myself from punching Gohan in the face if what his father claimed was true.

Thinking of my husband sleeping with a younger woman was hard enough, but Bulla? She was as beautiful as Bulma had been at her age, not a negative thing about her besides maybe her overwhelming personality. She and Gohan wouldn’t lick very well, but desperate times called for desperate measures. It would have made me feel less horrible if he had slept with Bulma instead. Then I could at least pass it off as a mistake. To be with Bulla, he had to actively pursue her.

Goku didn’t say much while I wept into the pillow. Whenever I said I always had a hunch he was cheating, he’d just nod his head like I was a mental patient and run his fingertips down my side. I’d accused him of lying for the first hour or two until he gave me a list full of evidence. One, Bulma knew and that was why she pushed me to have an affair with Goku. Two, Gohan was uncomfortable being in the Briefs house or around Vegeta. Three, he’d told Piccolo and Goku overheard their conversation.

“You can ask Piccolo,” Goku said softly, wiping tears from my eyes. “I didn’t want to tell you but you were being stubborn and I really want us to do what we should. We’re good for each other and it was just weighing on me that you didn’t know what happened. But don’t feel bad, a lot of us do it. Saiyans aren’t normally monogamous from what Vegeta tells me. He’s strayed before.”

“Those were random women. This was… different. He put thought into it. He wanted her.”

“I want you. Please don’t feel bad about yourself. You look perfect to me. And you look even younger now from us becoming mates. We can be together forever and neither of us has to feel sad or lonely again. Gohan might have school but we could live off the land.”

“Goku… I need to talk to my husband. Can you use instant transmission to bring me there?” When he frowned deeply, I tenderly kissed the tip of his nose. “Please, just for one more talk. I promise we can go swimming and spar afterwards if you want. Do you think that sounds fair?”

“I guess. Go get dressed and I’ll meet you here.”

We detangled our limbs beneath the sheets and I awkwardly climbed out of bed naked, shivering in the cool air. I could feel Goku’s eyes following me as I pulled on my clothes and prepared to confront my husband about his possible infidelity. It’d be so strange. He’d be asking who told me it in the first place and it would be suspicious that I learned my information from Goku. Kami, it was so hard to think of looking him in the face. We were separated by an ocean.

When I was dressed and spritzed myself down with body spray to cover Goku’s scent and avoid Gohan’s fury, I waited patiently for Goku to use his technique. He rose off the bed completely naked and laughed when I squealed in embarrassment and hid my face. Even seeing my husband without clothes made me blush. A warm hand settled on my shoulder and I felt us vanish from the room.

Instant transmission brought us in a narrow, dark alley next to some overfilled garbage cans that reeked of week-old trash. I held my nose shut and grimaced as the sounds of a busy city reached my ears. Goku looked extremely unhappy being in the noisy place and pointed out a huge building across the street to save himself from going out in the limelight. He’d grown up in the mountains and lived his entire life there. The hustle and bustle of city life was overwhelming.

“I’ll wait here for you to finish,” Goku said, leaning against the alley’s wall. He powered up to become a Super Saiyan 4, instantly garbing him in pants and covering his upper body in velvety red fur. “But if you don’t come out in an hour, I’ll have to come in after you.”

“Well that’s a little dramatic. If we’re talking about Gohan cheating, it’s going to take longer than an hour. Just come back in a few hours, okay?”

“Why? Chichi only takes an hour to chew me out. What are you two going to be doing while I’m gone?”

“…We’re married.”

Goku looked like he wanted to throw a tantrum, but turned his eyes away. “I’m waiting here either way. If I sense your ki increasing, I’m coming in.”

There was no point in continuing to argue with him. I rolled my eyes and stepped out into the brilliant sunlight, squinting and trying to get my bearings. The traffic was so backed up I could easily cross to the other side of the street and rush inside the building. The air outside made my lungs feel heavy; breathing was nearly impossible from all the pollution. I pushed past a few men and woman in business suits, feeling terribly underdressed for my visit, and rushed to the front desk.

A woman with a Bluetooth in her ear was typing away on a keyboard, attempting to look very important. Her eyes flickered up to see me and she pointed a finger toward the elevator without speaking a word. It seemed like blatant rudeness to me until I noticed she had pointed ears. She was probably some type of alien and knew who I wanted to see before I even asked. The perfect secretary.

I made my way to the elevator and realized I was shaking when the doors shut in front of me. If Gohan really had been unfaithful, the ensuing conversation would be much harder than I thought. Part of me hoped Goku had invented the whole story to drive me closer to him. It’d be easier to scream at him for being manipulative than address the issues causing cracks in my marriage. Bulla, of all people. I’d prefer he repeatedly cheated with random women than doing it once with a girl who we had seen raised from birth. She and Pan were best friends.

The motion stopped and both doors opened wide, showing another wide plain room. There were doors lining the hall, suggesting it was a floor for the people at the convention to retire at the end of the day. I walked down the hallway until I found a room labeled ‘SON GOHAN.’ My heart was beating so fast I worried it would beat right out of my chest. He was in there, probably working to care for Pan and I when he came home in a few days. Was I really going to have this conversation with him?

Before I could run over the argument in my head again to make sure I didn’t mess up, the door flew open and Gohan was standing in front of me. His glasses weren’t on and his hair was tousled, telling me he hadn’t had a meeting yet. His eyebrows raised in shock when he saw me but it quickly turned to joy. I squeaked like a chew toy when he scooped me up and swung me around. Kami, why did he have to do this to me? Things were already hard enough.

“Videl, you’re all better!” Gohan said, planting a kiss on my forehead. He switched his grasp so I was laying bridal style in his arms. “Why the visit? Is something wrong at home?”

“Yes. Put me down so we can talk.”

My husband furrowed his brow, but obeyed and placed me gently on the floor then gestured for me to come inside. It was getting harder to breathe. He shut the door behind us and we walked through the lavish room to his bedroom, where a huge bed with a white canopy took center stage. Gohan sat down on it and I took a seat next to him, twiddling my thumbs. I had to be brave. If he had cheated on me with Bulla, I couldn’t disgrace myself by pretending it never happened.

“If this is about me leaving after you got in the accident, I’m sorry—”

“Did you sleep with Bulla?”

Gohan’s mouth hung open in slack-jawed shock. I tried to keep my eyes level with his and look intimidating, but it was so hard when he looked so bewildered. Goku must have lied. What was I thinking, coming all the way to my husband’s important week of work to accuse him of such things? He looked like a deer caught in headlights, not a guy trying to hide his infidelity. I had been unfaithful and wanted to justify it somehow. Bulla was nearly half his age, so it didn’t make sense.

I couldn’t bear looking into his sad eyes. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should go.”

“Why would you ever think something like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s a very specific accusation. Who told you, Videl? Was it Bulla herself, or maybe Pan?” Gohan paused and scowled deeply. “Or was it dad? Don’t talk to him anymore; he’s just trying to drive us apart.”

“So you’re positive you didn’t do anything with Bulla? He told me I could ask Piccolo and he’d say the same thing. It’s just kind of weird for him to invent a story like that. The longer you put off telling me the truth, the worse the end results will be.”

There was a strained silence. I turned my eyes to the floor and prayed to Kami Gohan wasn’t speaking because he was offended by my words. That was much easier to fix than him being with Bulla. When I looked up to see what he was doing, he wound his fingers through my hair to pull my head to the side, exposing my neck. It was a good thing Dende healed the marks or we would have been arguing for much longer than an hour. Gohan tightened his grasp, making me wince in pain.

My husband slowly lowered his lips to my throat, near the area Goku had bitten me. He kissed the spot a few times before inhaling deeply, trying to pick up his father’s scent on my skin. I closed my eyes and hoped he wouldn’t notice it because I was doomed if he did. A few more tense moments passed, during which time his grasp began to loosen and free my hair. Just when I thought I was home free and could slip away, Gohan pushed me back on the bed and straddled my hips.

Fangs began to sprout from his mouth. “I never wanted to do this, Videl, but if you’re going to be paling around with Goku, I guess I’ll have to. I’m not always going to be there to stop him from filling your head with lies, so maybe this will help.”

Something told me that mating twice was not a good idea. If Gohan sank his teeth into me, Dende couldn’t heal it because my husband would obviously now. It would permanently fuse his scent into me and drive Goku insane. What if he tried to bite me again, too? Kami, I was turning into a chew toy for the Saiyans. Gohan easily held my head to the side and I felt his warm breath tickling my neck. He was panting, trying to control himself. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited.

But no agonizing pain came. Gohan sat up and I followed after, carefully rubbing my neck to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. His teeth returned to normal and he looked away, ashamed. “No, I can’t do that to you. It isn’t fair. Please believe me. I would never be unfaithful and Piccolo will confirm that.”

“Gohan, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you were worried. I would have been, too.” He reached out to offer me a hug and I gratefully fell into his arms, basking in my joy. “When I come home, why don’t we take the capsule Bulma gave us and have a little vacation? I’m sure she won’t mind watching Pan.”

“I’d love that.”


	17. Failure

Guilt weighed me down like a stone as I walked back across the street to find Goku and return back to the Briefs house. I had blindly believed what he told me to justify my own infidelity, which Gohan immediately picked up on and chose to ignore. Neither of us wanted to imagine the other being an adulterer, even though the evidence had been clearly in front of our eyes. Even if Gohan had cheated on me, which I found highly doubtful, it just meant we were even.

Once again, I was trying to ease the pain in my heart by lying to both myself and my husband. Of all the monsters and hardships we faced together, I never imagined our marriage falling apart at the seams would be our greatest challenge. Either I could file for divorce and put the poor man out of his misery or keep living as if nothing had ever happened. We both wanted it to be that way, but it never could be. Too many things remained unspoken. Gohan knew I was hanging around his father and passed it off as a simple crush on Goku’s part that would fade away with time. 

It was so horrible to watch Gohan forsake the obvious to protect his ego. I didn’t have enough time to fully remove Goku’s scent from my body and there had to be remnants of it that his strong sense of smell could pick up. He’d passed it off as an accident, maybe from instant transmission. But I wasn’t doing anything to stop it and I would never openly tell him the truth. We had too much together; I couldn’t risk losing it all over something we might be able to fix. 

Goku looked up when I entered the alleyway and his eyebrow rose. “That was pretty quick. Are you ready to go back? It looks like I need to fix those marks on your neck.”  
It was now or never. I had to put my foot down and stop this. 

“No,” I said.

“Aw, come on, Videl. No need to be so touchy.” 

“Listen to me, Goku. Your son and I talked for a while and I know he didn’t do anything with Bulla. So why don’t you stop the charade and go home to Chichi? Nothing you do will ever break Gohan and me apart. Even if he did sleep with Bulla, we can work through it. I’m willing to do anything to stay with him and that includes telling Chichi about what you and I have been doing. So, what will it be?”

The color drained from Goku’s face and he transformed back into a normal Saiyan. “No, no, don’t tell her. She’ll throw me out for good and it’ll be the biggest argument we’ve ever had. You have to believe me. Gohan really was with Bulla. We can go ask Piccolo right now if you want! I’m just trying to make our lives easier so we don’t have to be unhappy anymore.”

“You’re drinking some Sacred Water, too. That’s going to clear your head. I’m only being lenient because you’re possessed by Baby, even if you chose that your own. You’re going to apologize to your son for lying to him, apologize to Bulla for slandering her name, and apologize to Chichi for being unfaithful. And I’m not going to hold your hand when you do it. I’ll tell them of my infidelity by myself.”

“No, no, no, please, I’m begging you.” Goku dropped to his knees and took my hands in his, struggling to maintain his composure. “You know Gohan isn’t going to take this kind of news well and you don’t want to have a divorce. We can fake our deaths and live on another planet! Then none of them will have to know the real truth and they can all live in peace. Everyone wins that way, right?”

“We can’t keep lying to all of them. I need to repair my marriage and not concern myself with you or Bulla. What’s done is done and arguing with Gohan won’t make it better; it won’t hurt any less. Go home and tell Chichi what we’ve been doing. Our friends and family deserve better.”

“They don’t deserve us. Let’s go somewhere—”

My temper flared dangerously high and I swatted Goku’s hand away from my arm. “No! You’re making this much harder than it needs to be! Do you think I feel nothing for you? That it doesn’t hurt me to think of never seeing you again? I care about you, but I have a duty to Gohan and I love him with all my heart. The guilt is making me sick to my stomach.”

“I can’t stay here if it means you won’t be with me.” Goku wrapped his arms around my waist, still kneeling on the ground. It felt like Pan pleading with me not to leave her at school all over again. “You’re already my mate. You’ll feel depressed if we’re apart for too long. Come on; let’s go talk to Piccolo before we make any rash decisions. We can fix your mark and go swimming later.”

Gently, I pushed Goku away and took a step back so he could compose himself. But he remained on the ground with a desperate look on his face, still wordlessly begging me to abandon my family and leave Earth with him. I shook my head and turned to cross the street again so I could stay with Gohan until his week of meetings was up. It would be better for me to return home with him and start the hard conversation about Goku on the way back. Maybe I was wrong. The truth could save our marriage.

A hand gripped my shoulder tightly and I hardly had time to protest before we vanished in a flash of light. When we reappeared, my feet settled upon the white floor of Kami’s Lookout and I whirled around to shriek at Goku. But his eyes were focused ahead, where Piccolo was sitting calmly before the huge doors of the Lookout’s largest building. Goku picked me up like a bundle of sticks under his arm and carried me over, ignoring my furious punches to his stomach.

The Saiyan dropped me unceremoniously before Piccolo and took a seat next to me. I sat up and rubbed my head irately while the two inclined their heads to each other. If I wasn’t supposed to be involved in the discussion, I could have picked up some Sacred Water and thrown it in a water bottle for Goku. He had to be thirsty by now. He hadn’t complained to me about being hungry in a long time. Just as the thought finished crossing my mind, Piccolo produced a bottle of water from behind himself.

“Piccolo, will you tell Videl what happened between Bulla and Gohan?” Goku asked.

There was a long silence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

My heart leapt at Piccolo’s stern answer and I flicked my gaze to the water bottle sitting beside him. Was he suggesting that I take it and try to offer it to Goku? I awkwardly picked it up and took a small sip to make it seem less suspicious. The Sacred Water would have no ill effect on me, but the change in Goku would be tremendous and violent. The Baby parasite didn’t like leaving its host, especially when it offered so much strength.

Goku scratched the side of his head. “Really? It was a while ago but he told you.”

“It’s not my place to say anything.”

“Come on, I think Videl should know.”

“Did I stutter? It’s not my place to say anything.”

When I tried to offer the water bottle to Goku, he swatted it away irately. One of Piccolo’s eyes snapped open and watched the water spill all over the ground, now useless to cure Goku. There was more hidden deep within the confines of the Lookout, but we had missed a golden opportunity and repeated attempts would just make him wary.

“Tell her,” Goku said.

The Namek closed his eye again and smirked. “Or else what?”

Goku sighed and turned to me, once again insisting he hadn’t lied about Gohan and Bulla and that Piccolo just wanted to keep his protégée safe. When my eyes flickered to Piccolo, he was grinning to himself either out of joy that he was bothering Goku or keeping the truth from me. No one would confirm the incident ever happening because they didn’t want to look like the bad guy. The only way I could ever know would be through my husband and he would carry the secret to his grave.

Nevertheless, I still felt deep inside that Gohan wasn’t lying to me. It wasn’t in his nature. Normally his father didn’t either, but Goku was fueled by the Baby parasite and nothing was below him. It was sad to see him doing such a terrible thing to his body for an affair that would never become anything more. I regretted sleeping with him again when he told me of Gohan’s infidelity without checking the facts first. Now I was more impulsive than I had been as a teenager.

It became clear that things weren’t going as Goku had planned, so he gripped my wrist once more and we were transported elsewhere. 

We collapsed in front of the lake where Goku and Vegeta had sparred many months ago. I turned to demand he bring me back to Bulma’s, but he seized a fistful of my hair and turned my neck to the side roughly, producing popping sounds from my bones. Was he going to bite me again? I wriggled in his grasp futilely, hoping the real Goku would see through Baby’s influence and let go. His warm breath was on my skin, making the spot Dende had healed tingle uncomfortably.

“We’re doing things my way,” Goku said before sinking his teeth into my skin.

The pain wasn’t as severe as it had been the first time he bit me, but it came in close second. My instinct told me to push Goku away and he compensated for it by pinning me to the ground while I shrieked in agony. Was he insane?! If I didn’t make it back to Kami’s Lookout in time for Dende to heal me again, Gohan would both see and smell and mark. We’d both be done for. Or was that what he was after? Did he want to alienate me from my husband so it’d be easier to convince me to leave Earth?

A few minutes later, Goku raised his head and wiped off the blood on his mouth that glinted silver in the moonlight. He wouldn’t let me go anywhere. At least, not until it would be impossible for Dende to heal me again. They had barely reached me in time to bury the initial marks; now I was doomed to face Gohan when he came home from his meetings. Tears slipped from my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, which Goku wiped away with his fingertip. He smiled.

Before I fainted into oblivion, I heard a furious roar.


	18. Wishes

Rude awakenings had become routine in my life, but I was still never prepared for the sudden rousing into awareness. This wasn’t the worst way I had been awoken after passing out; it was gradual and soothing, like when my father would wake me up for school as a child. A hand gently stroked my hair and my eyelids pulled tighter in response, fearing what they would witness if I risked letting them open. If Goku was staring down at me, I had a terrible feeling I would just faint again. That would be absolutely humiliating. If it was Gohan… that would be even worse.

“Videl, I know you’re awake. Look at me.”

The worst possibly had come true and there was nowhere for me to run. I carefully opened my eyes to see my husband sitting in a chair next to my bed, which appeared to be the same one I used at Bulma’s. He was holding my hand and caressing my hair with the other, running his fingers through it to the ends. Gohan didn’t look angry, thankfully. There was sadness in his smile I couldn’t quite place. My hands flew up to my neck and I grimaced when I felt the bite wounds from Goku. They were still tender.

Embarrassment made me pull the sheets up higher on my neck so the mark was less visible. What a way for him to find out about his father and I. Where was Goku when you needed him? Probably off training somewhere with Vegeta, ignoring the problems he faced back home. Tears welled up in my eyes and I dropped my head in shame to avoid Gohan’s heartbroken gaze. I had hurt him in the most gruesome of ways: I struck right in his heart, where his tremendous love and loyalty to my resided. I was a monster.

Gohan pulled his hands away from me and removed his wedding band with painful slowness. He placed it on the nightstand beside my head and also took off my golden band, letting it fall on the table beside his. My heart was in real physical agony watching him show me without saying a word that he knew everything and wanted nothing to do with me. I felt my chest tighten and had to tell myself to breathe or risk going unconscious once again. It wasn’t that I blamed him or thought he was being unfair; I just had never imagined it actually happening.

“We’ve both lied to each other,” Gohan said after a long silence. “Goku was right. I did sleep with Bulla. It was a few months before I suspected the two of you were up to something. A moment of weakness on my part I’ve been regretting ever since. I should have told you the truth. Then again, you should have told me that Goku was possessed by Baby and trying to break us apart.”

“He’s…cured?” I asked, unwilling to address the matter of Gohan’s infidelity.

“Yes. It was a group effort to hold him down and force him to drink it, but he did. Even after the parasite was flushed out he chose to leave my mother. I guess that’s another thing you two have in common, besides being immature and irresponsible. Hosting Baby opened his eyes, though. He wants to leave Earth with you and settle down. Now that you’re mates it doesn’t make a difference. You two can be happy somewhere else and Vegeta can take over his role as Earth’s protector.”

“Please, don’t leave me. I want to work things out. I don’t want to go anywhere with your father—”

“He is not my father,” Gohan interjected coldly. “Piccolo is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a dad. He trained me as a child and was there when Goku was too busy training or remaining dead for the sole purpose of improving his own strength. I have no sympathy for you, Videl. You chose this path.”

When he tried to stand up, I grabbed his arm. “We’ve both made mistakes! Look, I lied to you about Goku and you lied to my face about Bulla just a few days ago. Our marriage needs work. Problems don’t solve themselves and we both need to put effort into things. Ask any of our friends if I wanted Goku to make me his mate; they’ll all tell you the same damn thing: no. I didn’t ask him to, never, and the only reason I felt a draw to him was because he put the idea in my head. Granted I did genuinely want him the first time, but it was the same between you and Bulla.

“Through the whole thing I kept worrying about you and about us. I never wanted to leave Earth with him and I still don’t want to. Goku and Chichi’s relationship was already on the rocks. I don’t want to end up like them when we’re old. I want to be happy with you forever. No more lies, no more cheating, and no more week-long meetings in another city. You’re going to quit your job so we can live deep in Mount Paozu near your mother. She’ll need all the support she can get right now.”

“That changes nothing,” Gohan said, “you still have a mark. Even being in the room with you is almost unbearable. This goes beyond Dende’s powers. If Goku wasn’t fused with the Dragon Balls, we might be able to wish it away, but there’s no chance of that happening now. I’m sorry.”

“The Namekian Dragon Balls would work, wouldn’t they?”

My husband’s eyes opened wide and he pushed his glasses further up on his nose. “Yes, that’s possible. I can talk to Bulma right now and ask her to make a ship that will get us to New Namek in no time at all. Hopefully the Grand Elder won’t mind us borrowing the Balls for such a simple wish, but if he understands the implications he may agree. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. But tell me… why Bulla?”

“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss that on our way to New Namek. For now, rest. I’ll tell the others what we’ve decided upon.” Gohan leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I love you, Videl.”

“I love you, too.”

After he left, the door was only closed for a brief second. A pair of blue eyes peered inside and stared at me nestled on my bed near the window, then Pan fully entered the room. My daughter was growing up fast. She looked a lot like I had at her age, with her long hair in pig tails and her favorite orange bandana tied around her head. She stood away from me for a few minutes, gauging my mood, and ran forward to wrap me in a bone-crushing hug. For being a quarter Saiyan, she was powerful.

It had been a very long time since I last hugged her. Pan cried for a while on my shoulder, leaving me to pay her back and act as her rock. Finding out that her parents didn’t have the perfect marriage she expected must have been difficult, especially when it led to Goku and Chichi separating. She had always looked up to her Saiyan grandfather and he let her down in a terrible way. When we finally broke apart, both of us were crying and laughing at the fact that we had been brought together by sadness.

“So you and dad are going to New Namek?” Pan asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Yes. We’ll be back in a few months, I hope. Maybe less. I’d like to take a while to bond with your father again. We’ve been through a lot and vacation is what we need more than anything. I’m sure you won’t mind staying with Bulma, right?”

“Well I don’t talk to Bulla…” My daughter looked away. “Grandma said I can stay with her. We’re both going to be lonely when grandpa leaves.”

Kami, why was I so stupid? Of course Pan didn’t want to stay with Bulma; it meant she had to be with her best friend who had slept with her father. I stroked my daughter’s face and pulled her into another tight hug, trying to communicate how awful I felt through the gesture. She returned it tenfold, almost bursting my lungs in the process. We sat together for a while and talked about what marriage was supposed to be; how you should never take it for granted. I was happy.

Pan left and I was alone with my thoughts once again, still finding it hard to believe that Gohan and I were going to work on making things right in our marriage. We had both made mistakes and needed to correct them. It wasn’t strange for two married people to have issues like we did. But thinking of Goku actually leaving Chichi was hard to stomach. They had been together for so long, through so many things, and he threw it all away on a dream of shirking his responsibilities. 

“Videl. What are you doing?”

I opened my eyes to see Goku standing beside my bed with a depressed expression on his face. He reached out to touch my arm and I started screaming, but his hand quickly clasped over my mouth. For being immortal, he looked extremely haggard. He scratched at his black hair and sat next to me on the bed, ignoring my furious glares and sighing heavily. What the hell did he think he was doing?! If anyone walked in right now, he’d be dead. Gohan wouldn’t be merciful this time around.

“It was Gohan who found us,” Goku said, beginning to play with my fingers. “Vegeta and Piccolo showed up with the Sacred Water after he started pummeling me. But I didn’t fight back too much. I knew he was right and I was wrong. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him win. I did what you said—told Chichi I was leaving and had other things to worry about besides being home by my curfew. But you didn’t come through on your end. You’re my mate now. We’re together forever.”

Goku grabbed my wrist and placed two fingers to his forehead. 

We appeared in a huge, lush field of teal grass, underneath a beautiful blue sky that extended for eons. I sat up and rubbed my head before shrieking at Goku, demanding he bring me back to Earth or I would never speak to him again. He sat beside me and closed his eyes, smiling vaguely. As far as I could tell, we were completely alone and no one in my family would be able to find me. He wouldn’t have been stupid enough to transport us somewhere easily discovered.

“We’re in Other World,” Goku said, answering my unspoken question. “No one can find us here. Normally mortals aren’t allowed here, but now you’re immortal just like me because we’re mates.” He laid down in the grass and put his arms behind his head, clearly pleased with himself. “We can start our own family and no one will bother us anymore. Just you and me forever.”

“I want to go home!”

“Maybe you can go for a supervised visit in a few years when they’ve all come to terms with us leaving. But for now, let’s sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“You can’t be serious.”

But the Saiyan had no intentions of returning me to Earth. I stared blankly at the sky, trying to imagine how my trip with Gohan would have been. We were going to explore the universe together, see Porunga, visit the Namekians… it would have been the adventure of a lifetime. Now I was trapped on a planet outside the realm of Earth with no way to contact him. If we did go back in a few years, what would Gohan think of me? Would he blame me for disappearing? Pan and I had finally spoken again for the first time in so long. Now it was all for nothing.

‘Videl, can you hear me?’

A voice was speaking to me telepathically, tugging at the corners of my mind. It sounded strangely familiar. I latched on to it and said ‘yes’ in my head, hoping I wasn’t going insane. The thought of being separated from Gohan and Pan for any amount of time was enough to make me crazy.

‘I am the King Kai and I’m communicating with your husband right now. He wanted me to tell you he knows this isn’t your fault and that he will find you. Which is going to be next to impossible, but you can’t blame a guy for trying, right?’

‘Yes… thank you. Please tell him I’ll be waiting and trying to keep in touch. There isn’t much I can do.’

‘He knows that,’ said the Kai, ‘and he doesn’t want you to worry. Goku will come to terms with what he’s done in time. Until then, Gohan is heading to New Namek with Pan to wish away your mark. Take care, Videl. I’m always here if you need to speak to your husband again or if needs to speak to you.’

The connection was lost and I felt some relief knowing that Pan and Gohan weren’t upset with me. If Bulma gave them a fast enough ship, the mark would disappear from my skin within a few weeks. And because Porunga granted several wishes, they could wish for Goku to never mark me again. The last wish could be used to bring me back to Earth. Unfortunately, the Dragon Balls on Earth were fused inside Goku and couldn’t be used again after the terror of Omega Shenron.

I laid back in the tall grass, closed my eyes, and tried to relax. Everything was going to be fine. Goku couldn’t keep me trapped in Other World forever. When I turned to look at him, I felt a pang of pity. He was fast asleep and still had a smirk planted on his face. After Gohan reached New Namek and found the Dragon Balls there, he would be completely alone. 

Why did the thought of never seeing Goku again make me want to cry?


End file.
